How does Compulsory Purchase work?

When the government or other public bodies are looking to promote public works, e.g., new roads, bridges, airport runways, etc., they often look to acquire the land for the proposed scheme by way of a compulsory purchase order (CPO).

Compulsory Purchase Orders can also be used by public bodies to promote regeneration schemes, such as land acquisition for a major town centre scheme. The guiding rule is that they must ‘think’ it is in the public interest.

A confirmed Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) allows the public body concerned to take land from an existing property owner without their consent. To obtain specific compulsory purchase powers, the public body concerned will usually have to submit their scheme for approval to the Secretary of State. An alternative means of approval is via an Act of Parliament.

In general, CPOs are usually used for major construction projects, such as road or rail networks or other projects, and as such, they can require a significant amount of land. Accordingly, the CPO may affect a large number of owners. However, they can be as small as a CPO limited to the acquisition of, say, 1 house.

At Roger Hannah & Co., we can help you understand your rights if you are issued with a CPO and help manage your property throughout the process. You will be entitled to compensation, which will cover not only the market value of your property ownership but also any loss of value on land/property retained, business disturbances, relocation costs, loss payments, professional fees, etc. Roger Hannah & Co can guide you through a complex minefield of legislation and rules to help you maximise your compensation.