Compulsory purchase orders

What is a compulsory purchase order (CPO)?

Public bodies, such as local planning authorities, highway authorities, utilities companies and certain regeneration agencies, have compulsory purchase powers to enable them to carry out their statutory functions.

Powers of compulsory purchase must be granted by statute. There are a large number of enabling powers, each of which specifies the bodies that are acquiring authorities for the purposes of the power and the purposes for which the land can be acquired. See Practice Note: Sources and limits of compulsory purchase powers. A commonly-used enabling power of compulsory purchase is section 226 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA 1990) which enables local authorities to make a compulsory purchase order (CPO) to facilitate the carrying out of development, redevelopment or improvement of land where it will promote or improve the economic, social or environmental well being of the area, see Practice Note: Compulsory purchase—economic, social or environmental well being.

It is also possible for an Act of Parliament to authorise construction of a specific public works project which includes powers of compulsory purchase, as is the