ABSTRACT
In a large number of situations, the threat of compulsory purchase is sufficient in itself to ensure that an owner agrees to sell his interest in land and compulsory purchase action is unnecessary. The power to acquire land does, however, ensure that the local planning authority (lpa) can use its power to assemble sites for development, redevelopment and improvement which may involve a multiplicity of ownerships. The power of compulsory purchase is not available to the private developer and, therefore, the local authority may well use its power to assemble sites in the single ownership of the authority and then enter into a partnership scheme with a developer who is responsible for financing the project. The power to acquire land by compulsory purchase for planning purposes is contained in ss 226, 228 and 231 of the Town and Country Planning (TCPA) Act 1990, as amended by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act (PCPA) 2004.
