Planning appeal decision
Hopwood Hall, Hopwood Hall College, Middleton Campus Rochdale Road, Middleton, Manchester, M24 6XH
Planning appeal 3359059 at Hopwood Hall, Hopwood Hall College, Middleton Campus Rochdale Road, Middleton, Manchester, M24 6XH (Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council) was dismissed on 23 July 2025 by Inspector Ashworth S, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of varying condition 2 and removing condition 3 on the special interest and significance of Hopwood Hall as a heritage asset; on parking and highway safety and on protected species.
proposed change of use of buildings and grounds to sui generis, to include: events; hospitality; tours; education; café; and shop, with ancillary facilities without complying with conditions attached to planning permission Ref 22/00907/FUL
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- leisure-sport · Other minor developments
- Inspector
- Ashworth S
- Postcode
- M24 6XH
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effect of varying condition 2 and removing condition 3 on the special interest and significance of Hopwood Hall as a heritage asset; on parking and highway safety and on protected species
What decided it
The insufficient detail about how the proposed uses would be distributed across the first floor and the resulting inability to assess impacts on the heritage significance of the listed building and on parking and highway safety.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy P2Policy T2Policy DM1Policy JP-P2
How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
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With an account
What an account adds to this decision


More decisions in Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025
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- Dismissed13 February 20253348915The Lake Garage (Smithybridge) Ltd, Smithy Bridge Road, Littleborough, Lancashire, OL15 0BQ
- Allowed7 November 20243346477Department of Work and Pensions Dcs Distribution Centre, Manchester Road, Heywood, OL10 2PZ
- Dismissed14 June 202433361141 Fenwick Drive, Middleton, Manchester, Rochdale, M24 4SN
The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.
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