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Compulsory Purchase

Compulsory purchase is an important land assembly tool which can enable strategic infrastructure, regeneration and development projects to proceed.

Our CPO team act on all aspects of compulsory purchase, including promotion of, and opposition to, CPOs and dealing with compensation claims both for the acquiring authorities and affected landowners.

We advise acquiring authorities at every stage of the compulsory purchase process, from choosing the appropriate compulsory purchase power, the decision to make the orders, drafting and service of orders and supporting documents, through to preparation for, and representation at, public inquiries, and then dealing with the transfer / vesting of land and settling compensation including references to the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber).

Our expertise and experience also extend to advising on the compulsory acquisition powers contained within development consent orders and other infrastructure authorisation procedures.

We also advise on high court judicial review challenges of decisions to make or confirm compulsory purchase orders as well as advising on obligations under the Crichel Down Rules.

Key Contacts

Jo Pickering

Partner, Head of Real Estate and Regeneration

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Rachel Hey

Managing Associate

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Work highlights

  • Housing Estate / Mixed Use Regeneration CPOs
    Acting for a number of local authorities advising, supporting and guiding them through the CPO process in connection with various estate regeneration projects. Clients include the Royal Borough of Greenwich (Kidbrooke Estate & Woolwich Estates), London Borough of Waltham Forest (Marlowe Road), London Borough of Newham (Carpenters Estate), London Borough of Wandsworth (Garratt Lane), Southend on Sea City Council (Better Queensway), Daventry District Council (Town Centre Retail Development), Waverley Borough Council (Brightwells Farnham Regeneration Scheme).
  • Infrastructure CPOs
    Acting for Herefordshire County Council (new link road to the south of Hereford City Centre), Buckinghamshire Council (South East Aylesbury Link Road ), East Sussex County Council (Exceat Bridge Replacement, Seaford), Stoke on Trent City Council (Etruria Valley Link Road), Wokingham Borough Council (Aborfield Cross Relief Road).
  • Infrastructure CPOs
    Acting for affected landowners and the National Farmers Union on High Speed Rail legislation and acting for various landowners and public bodies on development consent orders involving road and energy schemes.
  • Education CPOs
    Acting for Hertfordshire County Council in the compulsory acquisition of 10 hectares of land in Stevenage to secure a site for a new secondary school and existing primary school.
  • Water Act CPOs
    Advising and supporting Portsmouth Water Limited in connection with the development of a new reservoir (being the first reservoir to be built in the south east of the UK since the 1970s).
  • Compensation
    Acting in the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) on a number of high profile and important cases including for Thanet District Council (Dreamland Cinema) and (Dreamland Mainsite), London Borough of Wandsworth (Garratt Lane SW19), London Borough of Lewisham (Excalibur Estate), London Borough of Camden (HS2), Baz UK Limited (10-12 Western Avenue).
  • Compensation
    We regularly advise our clients on matters of compensation throughout the CPO process seeking to avoid litigation where possible.
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