Promoting and enhancing best practice and technical expertise

The 12th Annual CPO Convention 2025

A Deep Dive into CPO Practice

The purpose of this CPO Convention is to focus on some of the prominent and key areas of CPO practice. It delivers a nuts and bolts review of important and contentious practical matters, aimed at those who do CPO work; whether advising acquiring authorities or representing claimants.

Start Date Venue Price  
23 September 2025 Burges Salmon LLP, London £280 BOOK

Note: All prices are to be paid in GBP and are subject to VAT at the prevailing rate

Event duration: Day Event (4.5 Hours CPD).
Registration from: 09.45. Event starts at: 10.20. Event finishes at: 16.50.

Speakers

Programme

Building a Robust Claim:

  • Entitlement and understanding heads of claim: Rule 2 vs Rule 5, severance and injurious affection, disturbance
  • Structuring the claim – telling the story: Aligning evidence, narrative, and valuation logic to form a coherent and credible submission
  • Evidence, evidence, evidence: What’s persuasive? Valuation reports, business accounts, planning records, and contemporaneous documents
  • Avoiding overreach: Common pitfalls: padding, double-counting or including losses not directly caused by the acquisition

Mitigating the Claim:

  • Claimant's duty to mitigate – what does it actually mean?
  • Negotiation strategies and documenting the steps taken
  • The value of early engagement and transparent communications
  • When mitigation fails
  • When claims go to Tribunal, what behaviours and actions will undermine your case?

Using the MHCLG Model Claim Form:

  • Purpose and expectations
  • Key sections and what to include – a practical walkthrough
  • Common mistakes and omissions
  • Digital readiness - structuring claims to be audit-proof and easy to follow in digital or hybrid case management systems
  • How the form can support negotiation and disputes

Claimant’s Time:

  • Entitlement
  • Business loss or personal loss (Thomas Newall case)

Rule 5 – Equivalent Reinstatement – What does it mean? Practical issues that arise

Whilst Rule 5 valuations are not frequently encountered in CPO work, it’s surprising the amount of litigation that arises from it

  • When is Rule 5 triggered - the 4 tests
  • Entitlement
  • What is "equivalent"?
  • Re-provision
  • Burdens on claimants
  • Preference for agreement
  • Timing
  • Issues arising

Hope Value:

  • When does hope value arise?
  • Evidencing value
  • Planning assumptions and disregards and the premise of Market Value

The Problems Associated with Schemes that Don’t Proceed (whether delayed, refused or cancelled):

  • Impact on AA
  • Impact on claimants

How Long Should a CPO Take – a panel discussion:

  • Avoiding the rush. Where does inertia originate?
  • Why delay till tomorrow what can be done today? The benefits to expediting a scheme
  • Managing and mitigating mental health

Case Law