We advise across the full lifecycle of compulsory purchase, acting for promoters, developers, investors, landowners and occupiers on complex infrastructure and regeneration schemes. Our experience spans development consent orders (DCOs), Transport and Works Act Orders (TWAOs), compulsory purchase orders (CPOs), across various statutory regimes, Necessary Wayleave Applications and hybrid bill processes, ensuring clients are supported at every stage of the statutory process.

Strategic land assembly & project delivery

Our team combines strategic insight with practical delivery, supporting clients from initial scheme design and land assembly strategy through to order promotion, consultation, objections and implementation. We help promoters minimise reliance on compulsory powers through early engagement and negotiation, while ensuring schemes are robustly justified to support the use of compulsory powers.

Advising landowners, occupiers & affected parties

We act for landowners, occupiers and businesses affected by compulsory purchase, providing clear and commercially focused advice to protect assets and operations, maximise compensation and mitigate order effects.

This includes negotiating private treaty deals, mitigation agreements and alternative arrangements, as well as preparing and presenting objections and evidence at inquiries and public examinations, as well as making statutory challenges to confirmed orders.

Compensation strategy & dispute resolution

We advise on all aspects of compensation, acting for both promoters and claimants. Our experience includes advising on claims including land valuations, development value, disturbance, relocation, severance, injurious affection, business loss, and temporary loss claims arising from major infrastructure and regeneration schemes. We also advise on claims where no land has been acquired, or a claimant has no legal interest in land; equivalent reinstatement; on statutory and non-statutory blight claims; safeguarding directions; certificates of alternative appropriate development; and advance payments, as well as making references to the Upper Tribunal Lands Chamber when compensation cannot be agreed. Working closely with compulsory purchase compensation surveyors, we deliver coordinated advice to maximise recoveries, manage risk and resolve complex compensation disputes.

Recent experience

• advising on a contested Transport and Works Act application by Network Rail relating to a site in Ealing over which temporary powers are sought for the delivery of works at Old Oak Common Station and permanent trackside access rights

• advising on proposals by East West Rail that affect a consented and under construction phased residential scheme, seeking a negotiated settlement to ensure the residential scheme can be completed

• advising a consortium of commercial property owners in relation to proposals by Birmingham City Council relating to the Birmingham Smithfield development, seeking compensation on a redevelopment value basis

• advising a hotel chain in relation to proposals by Bristol City Council for the redevelopment of the Temple Meads Quarter, seeking relocation of the business within the scheme

• advised landowners and occupiers affected by several major DCO schemes, including negotiating mitigation agreements and compensation arrangements as alternatives to compulsory acquisition, securing valuation changes to the DCO and its Requirements

• advising various energy clients in relation to compulsory purchase powers under the Electricity Act 1989 and necessary wayleave applications.