The Labour Party has mooted the idea of compulsory purchase of land for housing by local authorities and amendment of the rules on compensation. It is a complex area. It raises at least these questions:

  • what is the problem which is being targeted;
  • what drives land value and where are they different;
  • how would the proposal affect new settlements, if at all;
  • are there existing mechanisms to achieve the same end; how would land-owner behaviour change;
  • are the CPO and valuation stages the same and what position might an objector take;
  • are there perverse consequences for local plan preparation?

That is a long list, and so this is a detailed episode of the Planning Podcast, with three experts: Richard Blythe (Head of Policy and Practice at the RTPI); Paul Brocklehurst (Chairman of the Land Promoters and Developers Federation), and; Christian Hawley, barrister at No5 Chambers joining Richard Kimblin KC to tease out the issues.