The number of planning Compulsory Purchase Orders by councils increased by 61% last year, according to new research from law firm Bond Dickinson.
The figures show that submissions of planning CPOs, often used to facilitate major development projects, increased from 36 applications in 2013, to 58 in 2014.
The figures also reveal that the CPOs have a success of rate of more than 95%, with the majority of purchases occurring in London, the Midlands and the North West.
‘This significant recovery in the number of Planning CPOs submitted in 2014 from a low in 2013 may be a positive indicator of returning confidence in an economic upturn,’ said Frank Orr, legal director at Bond Dickinson LLP.
‘If that trend continues then we would anticipate a continued uplift in the use of Planning CPOs through 2015, as authorities seek to facilitate a range of development projects, however there is still some way to go to match pre-recession levels.’
The research found that when CPOs do fail, it is normally due to technical drafting errors, the availability of alternative solutions, falling short of the need for compulsory acquisition and a failure to demonstrate that all land was needed.
