nplaw’s CPO Seminar a great success

Jane Linley and Fiona Anthony delivered a course in London on Compulsory Purchase Orders: The Basics and Beyond on 13th October. This was fully booked with delegates attending from a number of different authorities. There was some excellent feedback:

An excellent informative day’s training, pitched perfectly at a good pace.

Really good and useful seminar – pitched as advertised and easy to follow. Speakers were confident and made the topic interesting – clearly knew their stuff!

The seminar was very good, probably one of the best courses I have been on for a very long time. The subject matter was very well explained and the course materials were excellent.

I found the presenters very knowledgeable and conveyed information clearly and enthusiastically. Very enjoyable – thank you.

We will be running the seminar again in different locations.

The first will be at Center Parcs in Elveden Forest, Suffolk, on Thursday 23rd November 2017 (yes – you can bring your swimming costume! The course will end at about 4.15pm but delegates are welcome to stay on the site until 10pm to enjoy the facilities, including unlimited free swimming in the Subtropical Swimming Paradise.) Spaces are very limited on this course.

The second will be at Clayton Hotel in Leeds on Friday 2nd March 2018.

With local authorities being encouraged to make more use of Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs), this seminar will take you through the process from beginning to end. It is intended for anyone with an interest in CPOs from absolute beginners to those with some experience. For beginners, we will explain the issues simply and highlight areas that can be tricky. For more experienced practitioners, this is an excellent opportunity to hear how the recent changes in the law will affect you and your work.

We will give you practical guidance on making successful CPOs. As we go through the day, we will break down the different stages of the process, incorporating the many recent changes to the law, and give you practical tips based on our extensive experience. We will discuss lots of real-life examples and show you how a CPO is made by talking you through a real case from start to successful conclusion.

nplaw, the shared local authority legal service hosted by Norfolk County Council, has a strong reputation in the field of compulsory purchase and acts for councils across the breadth of England and Wales on CPO projects. These range from the compulsory acquisition of single empty houses to multi-plot regeneration orders. We have a dedicated team of lawyers who undertake CPOs and who can help other local authorities through the process.

The speakers for the day will be Jane Linley and Fiona Anthony, who are both solicitors with nplaw and also qualified teachers. They are experienced trainers with excellent knowledge of the law in this area. Jane is the Head of Planning and Environmental Law at nplaw and has many years of practical experience advising on CPOs, having made her first in 1979. Fiona has worked in local government for several years and, since joining nplaw two years ago, has been working on streamlining CPO processes within nplaw and updating these to take account of recent legislative changes.

We will cover the following areas:

Introduction and Context

• What are CPOs and when might they be used?
• Making a compelling case in the public interest
• Useful CPO powers – the law and government advice
• When is it appropriate to proceed with a CPO?

Making and confirming the Order

• Obtaining council authority
• CPO procedures
• Confirmation of Order
• Registration of title

Dealing with Objections

• The contested Order
• Written representations or public inquiry
• The procedure
• Witnesses

What might trip you up?

• The site no-one owns
• Listed buildings
• Easements and covenants
• Objections

Compensation

• What elements of compensation might be payable?
• Can compensation payments be reduced?

Timing and location

The seminars will take place on:

Thursday 23rd November 2017 at Center Parcs, Elveden Forest, Suffolk.
Friday 2nd March 2018 at Clayton Hotel, Leeds.

Each day begins with registration and refreshments at 9.30am and finishes at 4 pm. Free car parking will be available at both venues.

Booking Details

The cost of each seminar is £195 (plus VAT), which includes refreshments, lunch and course materials.
To book a place, please email nicola.mcdowell@norfolk.gov.uk, stating clearly which venue you would like to attend, and provide the name of your authority and details of the delegates (including names, job titles, email addresses and telephone numbers). Please also confirm whether you will need to supply a purchase order before an invoice is submitted.

Cancellation policy

Any cancellation must be notified by email to nicola.mcdowell@norfolk.gov.uk no later than 21 days before the course start date, otherwise you will be charged for the place. Alternatively, you may nominate a substitute for any booking.

Access and other requirements

Please let us know if you have any specific access, dietary or other requirements so that we may make your attendance at our course an enjoyable and comfortable experience.

Joining instructions

These will be issued about 10 days before the course date.