Compulsory Purchase (Hansard, 13 June 2003)

§ Mr. McNulty

As I indicated during the debate on 10 June 2003 concerning the proposal to recommit the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill to Standing Committee [columns 566 and 574], we propose to introduce seven additional proposals to the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill which will help to make the compulsory purchase process simpler, quicker and fairer. These areextending to all acquiring authorities, including the RDAs and the Urban Regeneration Agency (English Partnerships), the power to require information to be given about persons occupying, or having an interest in, land which they propose to acquire; redefining those who, by virtue of occupying or having an interest in land, are entitled to be regarded as statutory objectors with a right to have their objections heard at a public inquiry; providing a regulation-making power to facilitate the consideration of objections by means of written representations; providing for the confirmation of unopposed CPOs by the relevant acquiring authority; providing for the confirmation in stages, where appropriate, of CPOs made by all types of acquiring authorities; defining the dates to be used for valuation purposes; and providing for advance payments of compensation to be made direct to mortgagees where this is agreed by all relevant parties and irrespective of the amount outstanding on the mortgage.