CPO Essentials Convention 2017

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Used well, and following best practice, CPO is a powerful tool to acquire land and rights that cannot be secured by negotiation. Crossrail 2, HS2 and the Third Runway at Heathrow are projects that rely on the use of CPO powers.

Over the next 10 years, it is currently estimated that compensation payments relating to CPO will exceed £15 billion. Notwithstanding this, CPO law and practice remains complex. This was best expressed by Lord Carnwath in his Law Commission report of 2004 which stated that “The current law of compulsory purchase of land is difficult to locate, complicated to decipher and elusive to apply.”

The Government is in the process of reforming CPO law and practice in an attempt to make the process fairer, simpler and quicker. The Neighbourhood Planning Act 2017 and Housing and Planning Act 2016 have introduced significant changes to the CPO process. Furthermore, the recent Housing White Paper confirms that the Government is encouraging local authorities to use CPO powers to intervene in the housing market and stimulate new development. This includes the more active use of compulsory purchase powers to promote development on stalled sites.

In response to the increased use of CPO powers, RICS has introduced a professional statement that dictates minimum standards for surveyors to follow, particularly when acting for claimants. Recent decisions have also confirmed that the Secretary of State is not afraid to fail a CPO that is not robustly prepared or justified by adequate evidence.

The purpose of this CPO Convention is to focus on some of the prominent and key areas of CPO practice. It is aimed at those relatively new to CPO work, and practitioners who offer CPO advice, whether as lawyers, planners or surveyors/valuers.

The speakers represent the range of professional disciplines involved in the CPO process, and are members of the Compulsory Purchase Association. They are able to offer an insight into the nuances of the CPO process as well as providing guidance on how to avoid the pitfalls and what represents best practice.