Dec 25, 2015
Compulsory Purchase= the taking of a person or
company’s land by compulsion
Compensation= the monetary recompense
(usually!) that person or company receives for its interest in the land and for the disruption caused to its affairs
Some differences in law and legal systems
The English system Terms and jargon – 19th Century roots Compulsory Purchase, Compensation,
Blight, Material Detriment, Severance and Injurious Affection, Betterment, Disturbance
Dispute Resolution – Lands Tribunal
Combination of general and specific Acts of Parliament
Government level (Federal level)= an Act of Parliament
County/local authority level – (State level)
= a Compulsory Purchase Order
Transport – roads, railways and airports Planning – regeneration and housing Energy – electricity, gas and oil Government facilities – education,
defence
No compulsory purchase without a “compelling case in the public interest”
Burden of establishing this lies with the acquiring authority
CPO powers are an important tool for local authorities and other public bodies to use as a means of assembling the land needed to help deliver social and economic change
Used properly they can contribute towards effective and efficient urban and rural regeneration
Bodies possessing compulsory purchase powers are therefore encouraged to consider using them pro-actively wherever appropriate to ensure real gains are brought to residents and the business community without delay
The confirming minister must Take a balanced view between the
intentions of the acquiring authority and the affected landowner
Be satisfied that the acquiring authority has made out a compelling case that justifies the taking of another’s land
Be satisfied that what the acquiring authority intends to do with the land once acquired WILL be done within a reasonable timescale
Acquiring authorities should always seek to acquire by negotiation - CPO a last resort – but use ‘in parallel’ is encouraged
Provide full information about the scheme, CPO process and timetable
They can make a CPO and negotiate simultaneously
A CPO is ‘made’ – but at this stage it has no force
A Public Inquiry is held – an independent Inspector examines the justification for the CPO and the basis of objections to it
The Inspector reports and makes a recommendation to the appropriate central government Minister of State
The Minister confirms or modifies the Order – but the Minister can also reject it
The CPO is ‘confirmed’ – at this stage it has force
2008 - Infrastructure Planning Commission
Fast track process12 – 18 months for obtaining Planning and CPO
LHR T5 - 19 years proposal to opening – 4 year Public Inquiry 1995 to 1999
Nuclear Power, Wind Farms, Railways, Roads, Waste etc
National Policy Statements/Developemnt Consent Orders
Curtailed Public Inquiry
The Channel Tunnel Rail Link – High Speed One
Highbury – Arsenal FC
The 2012 Olympic Games
Crossrail
High Speed Two
The UK had some ambivalence about being ‘joined’ to France but….
The Channel Tunnel opened in 1994 – high speed rail links to Paris opened at the same time
The next stage was to connect to London Acquisition process for HS1 started in 1995
Powers obtained in 1996
62 miles tunnel portal to St Pancras London
A Private Finance Initiative – Public Private Partnership
Financing difficulties in 1997 delayed start and project split into section 1 (Channel Tunnel to North Kent) and section 2 (North Kent to Central London)
Section 1 completed 2003 Section 2 completed 2007
Line also used for fast commuter trains but as yet no freight
$10bn – on sale for $2.5bn
CPO powers sought for what objectors to the scheme claimed was the use of compulsory purchase powers to assist the development aspirations of a private company
Major 500 acre+ regeneration site East London
$12bn cost (4x original estimate)
52 electricity towers removed – tunnel
Huge remediation
CPO implemented in 2007 - $1.5bn cost of acquisitions 800+ businesses displaced
Linked to HS1 – javelin trains (Japanese) 7 minute journey time St Pancras to Stratford
Problems with relocating ‘bad neighbour’ users
Wrong time in property cycle
Planning issues
Compensation costs circa $1.5bn
The implementation of an old idea -- a fast rail link crossing London from East to West
1836 – Robert Stevenson scheme
1991 – ‘East-West’ scheme
2005 – Crossrail Bill
2008 - Acquisition of land begins
Very high value property
‘Wrong’ time in the cycle
Hugely disruptive work sites in central London
Interaction with Olympics
Completion 2017??
London to Birmingham – stage 1
Then (perhaps) Birmingham to Manchester – Leeds – Glasgow and Edinburgh
$50bn
Very early stages - completion 2035
Blight issues – hardship schemes - huge opposition from wealthy residential areas - The Chilterns
UK used to rely on North Sea
Now vulnerable to winter shortages
Need for massive increase in storage capacity Saltfleetby CPO 2009
750 interests
Connection to gas grid
•Market value/willing parties/no scheme world•Valuation date
•Equivalent reinstatement•Comparables v development appraisal/residual
Land Compensation Act 1961
6 statutory ‘Rules’ set out in the Act to govern the principles to be applied
2 specific valuation ‘Rules’
Rule 2
‘The value of land shall, subject as hereinafter provided, be taken to be the amount which the land if sold in the open market by a willing seller might
be expected to realise’
Rule 5
‘Where land is, and but for the compulsory acquisition would continue to be, devoted to a purpose of such a nature that there is no general demand or market for land for that purpose, the compensation may, if the
Lands Tribunal is satisfied that reinstatement in some other place is bona fide intended, be assessed
on the basis of the reasonable cost of equivalent reinstatement’
Statutory referral to Lands Tribunal (Upper Tribunal – Lands Chamber) – Court of Appeal – Supreme Court
Alternative Dispute Resolution – Mediation Early Neutral Evaluation
Fees and costs
1901 : Zanzibar – Railway constructionSecretary of State for Foreign Affairs –v- Charlesworth
1914 – Canada – Hydro-electric powerCedar Rapids Co –v- Lacoste
1917 – Canada - Hydro-electric powerFraser –v- Fraserville City
1939 – India – Harbour constructionVyricherla Narayana Gajapatiraju –v- Revenue Divisional Officer Vizigapatam
1947 -Trinidad : Naval base construction
Pointe Gourde Quarrying & Transport Co Ltd –v-
Sub-Intendent Crown Lands 1979 – Australia – Shopping centre
Melwood Units Otd –v- Main Road Commissioner
1995 – Hong Kong – New town
Director of Buildings and Land –v- Shun Fung Ironworks Ltd
2002 – Wales – Replacement wildlife ‘wetlands’
Waters –v- Welsh Development Authority