Court Case About Hopwood Hall

May 4, 2026, 11:25
EuropePolitics

Introduction

A man named Hopwood DePree and the Rochdale Council are fighting about a big old house called Hopwood Hall.

Main Body

In 2017, the Council told Mr. DePree he could buy the house for Β£1. He had to fix the house and get permission to change it. Mr. DePree spent Β£750,000. In 2022, he got permission to make a hotel and a place for events. In November 2024, the Council stopped the deal. They say Mr. DePree does not have a good plan to make money. They want to protect the public money. Mr. DePree says this is not true. He says he did everything the Council asked. The house is very old. A family owned it until 1922. Then, other companies owned it. The Council bought the house in the 1990s.

Conclusion

A judge will decide who is right in September.

Learning

πŸ•’ The Timeline Shift

Look at how we talk about the past versus the present in this story. This is the key to A2 speaking.

1. The 'Done' Actions (Past Simple) When something happened at a specific time, we add -ed or change the word:

  • Told (Tell β†’ Told)
  • Spent (Spend β†’ Spent)
  • Bought (Buy β†’ Bought)
  • Owned (Own β†’ Owned)

2. The 'Right Now' State (Present Simple) When we talk about what people think or feel today, we use the basic form:

  • They say...
  • He says...
  • This is not true.

πŸ’‘ Quick Map for your brain: 2017/2022 β†’ -ed / Past form (The action is finished) 2024/Now β†’ Simple form (The fight is happening now)

Useful Phrases for A2:

  • "He had to..." β†’ (He was forced to do it)
  • "A judge will decide..." β†’ (Looking at the future)

Vocabulary Learning

house (n.)
a building for people to live in
Example:She lives in a small house by the sea.
buy (v.)
to pay money to get something
Example:I will buy a new phone next week.
fix (v.)
to repair or mend
Example:He will fix the broken window.
permission (n.)
the right to do something
Example:She asked for permission to leave early.
hotel (n.)
a place where people stay overnight
Example:They stayed at a five-star hotel.
events (n.)
occasions or activities
Example:The city hosts many events every summer.
deal (n.)
an agreement or arrangement
Example:They reached a deal on the price.
plan (n.)
a set of actions to achieve a goal
Example:He has a plan to save money.
money (n.)
coins or bills used for buying
Example:She saved her money in a bank.
public (adj.)
belonging to all people
Example:The park is a public space.
judge (n.)
a person who decides a legal case
Example:The judge listened to both sides.
right (adj.)
correct or lawful
Example:You are right about the answer.
big (adj.)
large in size
Example:They built a big house.
old (adj.)
having lived for many years
Example:The old tree stood for centuries.
true (adj.)
correct or real
Example:It is true that the sky is blue.
everything (pron.)
all that exists
Example:She took everything she needed.
family (n.)
a group of related people
Example:My family loves to travel.
companies (n.)
businesses that make or sell goods
Example:The companies announced a merger.
council (n.)
a group of people who make decisions for a community
Example:The council voted on the new policy.
court (n.)
a place where legal cases are heard
Example:The case went to court.