Odell led Brodies’ market leading Land and Rural Business team between 2007 and 2016 and has many years’ experience advising on major infrastructure projects, compulsory purchase and commercial developments. She is ranked by The Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners for both agricultural law and transport, with the latter commenting that “sources suggest Odell Milne is "one of the top land property experts in Scotland”.
Odell has particular expertise on all aspects of compulsory purchase, notably advising on legislation and procedure, managing land acquisition and compensation claims. She also has extensive experience in advising in connection with Private Bill and TAWS procedure. She is co-author of the Stair Memorial Encyclopaedia Volume “Compulsory Acquisition and Compensation”, regularly speaks at seminars and conferences on the topics of Compulsory Purchase and Compensation and contributes articles to a range of Journals. She has also been actively involved in the Scottish Law Commission’s Consultation on Reform of Compulsory Purchase legislation.
Relevant Experience:
A9 Dualling - Transport Scotland/Jacobs (UK) Limited - Leading the team responsible for the provision compulsory purchase advice and property advice to the project team and for carrying out land referencing to identify and plot ownership and occupation of all land and properties along the entire route between Perth and Inverness (80 miles of single carriageway and 30 miles of existing dual carriageway). A9/A85 Perth Transport Futures - Perth & Kinross Council – Compulsory purchase, land referencing and property advice relating to A85/A9 Junction improvements. Work included team meetings with the Council project team to advise with regard to CPO issues, programme and strategy as well as input to project documents; support with drafting responses to objections; and advice with regard to complex property law matters including Council owned land, roads, servitudes and accesses, bridges and water courses. Berryden Corridor Improvement Scheme – Aberdeen City Council - Lead CPO support advising the Council’s legal, roads and estates teams in connection with this proposed city centre dual carriageway scheme. Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine Railway - Clackmannanshire Council - Provision of compulsory purchase advice and assistance to Clackmannanshire Council in connection with the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine Railway and Linked Improvements Act 2004 and responsible for compulsory acquisition of land and compensation claims for railway. Airdrie-Bathgate Railway - Jacobs UK Limited/Transport Scotland/Network Rail – Compulsory purchase advice and property work relating to the Airdrie-Bathgate Railway Project including compulsory acquisition of more than 1,000 separate plots of land, land referencing and service of notification and advice to the Promoter at the pre-Bill, Committee and Assessor Hearing stages of the project. She advised on compulsory purchase and compensation; promoter’s witness at Committee and Assessor Hearings; agreements with objectors and attendance at objector meetings and public forums on compulsory purchase procedure; and advising with regard to utility infrastructure, wayleaves and servitudes. Borders Railway - Scottish Borders Council/Network Rail - Acting for the Council in relation to compulsory acquisition of the land required and compensation work for the Borders Railway project which includes approximately 1400 separate plots in three counties. Responsible for compulsory acquisition of land; compensation claims; claim management and settlement; advice on exercise of compulsory purchase powers; property management legal support (including litigation); and advice relating to utility infrastructure, termination and reconstitution of wayleaves.