Context

There are a large number of statutory provisions which grant compulsory purchase powers for specific purposes to specified bodies, see Practice Note: Sources and limits of compulsory purchase powers. Authorisation of compulsory purchase is commonly conferred by a compulsory purchase order (CPO), which is made by the specified body (the acquiring Authority) and then confirmed by the confirming authority (which is the minister having the power to authorise the acquiring authority to purchase the land compulsorily, or an inspector appointed by that minister to act instead or in some cases the acquiring authority).

This Practice Note focuses on the procedure for promoting a CPO to which the Acquisition of Land Act 1981 (ALA 1981) applies. ALA 1981 applies to most Compulsory acquisitions by public bodies, although separate procedures may apply, for example, where compulsory acquisition is proposed as part of development consent orders under the Planning Act 2008 (PA 2008) which is not dealt with in this Practice Note (see Practice Notes: Compulsory acquisition for