Whilst there has been 8 years of consultation and extensive review, at substantial cost, this has not been reflected by substantive reform to date. As the Law Commission has stated “The current law of compulsory purchase of land is difficult to locate, complicated to decipher and elusive to apply.” Surely, now is the time for action.

The Law Commission proposals have been broadly welcomed, but the campaign for reform is weakened by those promoting variance to them. “As a CPO profession we must decide whether we want reform, in the way being proposed by the Law Commission, or are we happy with no change” says Richard Owen, Head of Valuation at Drivers Jonas. “Now is not the time to argue for amendments to their proposals. Doing so shows a false impression that we are unable to agree on reform, or perhaps more dangerously, they we don’t really want it. We either want to reform or we don’t.”

The audience of over 170 leading CPO practitioners – encompassing surveyors, planners, lawyers and leading barristers and QCs certainly supported the time for action was now, and that the Law Commission’s proposals are a significant first step in reforming a system that is seen as slow, complicated and unjust, and fully support the proposals.

The Compulsory Purchase Association is a multi-disciplinary professional association of practitioners (and others) who have a significant interest in compulsory purchase. Its membership of nearly 300 comprises surveyors, planners, accountants, solicitors, barristers and QCs. It promotes education and best practice in all aspects of compulsory purchase, as well as trying to present an authoritative, balanced and representative voice for the ‘CPO’ profession to the media and government.

The CPA national conference took place at the Royal Society in London on 23 June 2005, and had 175 attendees.