The Secretary of State has made the Compulsory Purchase of Land (Prescribed Forms) (Ministers) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/111). Made on 5 February 2026 and in force from 18 February 2026, the instrument revises prescribed notices under the Acquisition of Land Act 1981 (ALA 1981) to reflect recent reforms on online publicity and conditional confirmation. These changes apply in England and Wales. (legislation.gov.uk)
A new Form 6A is prescribed for newspaper notices of the making of a compulsory purchase order (CPO) for the purposes of section 11(1)(a) and paragraph 2(1)(a) of Schedule 1 to the ALA 1981. The existing Form 7 is recast for online publication and for affixing on or near the land, separating web and on‑site requirements from newspaper content.
The confirmation and making stages are also restructured. Where the confirming authority is a Minister (rather than the acquiring authority under section 14A ALA 1981), notices not published in a newspaper use Form 10 and notices placed in a newspaper use new Form 10A. Where confirmation is by an acquiring authority under section 14A, the equivalent notices are Form 11 (non‑newspaper) and new Form 11A (newspaper).
Following the Levelling‑up and Regeneration Act 2023 (LURA 2023), conditional confirmation is supported by new ‘fulfilment notices’. The Regulations prescribe Form 11B (non‑newspaper) and Form 11C (newspaper) for giving notice that conditions have been met and an order has become operative, aligning with new ALA 1981 section 15(4B)–(4F). (legislation.gov.uk)
The Schedule to the 2004 Regulations is updated extensively. New Forms 6A, 10A, 11A, 11B and 11C are inserted; revised versions of Forms 7, 8, 9, 9A, 10, 11 and 12 are substituted. Titles in the contents list are adjusted to clarify when a form is for newspaper publication and when it is for other means, reflecting the post‑LURA 2023 split between print and digital requirements. (legislation.gov.uk)
For the publicity of making and confirmation notices, the instrument sits alongside the LURA 2023 requirement to publish CPO documents and notices on an ‘appropriate website’ for a six‑week period. Authorities should expect shorter, more functional newspaper text with fuller materials provided online, as anticipated in government consultation material. (legislation.gov.uk)
Forms 8, 9 and 9A-used for direct service-are replaced to ensure consistency with the ALA 1981 framework for notifying ‘qualifying persons’. In practice, this captures owners, lessees, tenants, occupiers and others likely to have compensatable rights affected by the order, and must be identified through diligent enquiry before service. (gov.uk)
Form 12-notice of the giving of a certificate under section 16 or 19 of, or paragraph 3 or 6 of Schedule 3 to, the ALA 1981-is also replaced. This is the form used where special land (for example open space or common) protections are engaged and a certificate has been issued; publication remains a statutory step following the decision. (gov.uk)
The Regulations extend to England and Wales. They apply where a Minister (other than the Welsh Ministers) is the confirming authority under the ALA 1981 or where a Minister prepares a draft order; separate Welsh arrangements continue to apply where the Welsh Ministers act as confirming authority, as with the parent 2004 Regulations. (commons.wikimedia.org)
Commencement is Wednesday 18 February 2026. While regulation 1(1) in the instrument text refers to 18 February 2025, the made heading and Explanatory Note confirm the 2026 date; implementation planning should therefore work to 18 February 2026, which also aligns with wider CPO reforms commencing on that date. (burges-salmon.com)
For acquiring authorities, the practical actions are immediate: update templates and document packs to the new forms; plan dual‑channel publication workflows so that concise newspaper notices point to comprehensive online materials; and ensure conditional confirmations trigger the new fulfilment notices to all relevant parties and channels within statutory timeframes. (legislation.gov.uk)
The instrument is signed by the Minister of State and carries no separate impact assessment, with government indicating minimal burden as changes codify digital publication already required by primary legislation. Legal, estates and project teams should brief case officers and reprographics/advertising suppliers now to avoid invalidity risks on and after 18 February 2026. (legislation.gov.uk)