Online publicity duties for compulsory purchase orders are now in force for most acquiring and confirming authorities in England and Wales. The changes were commenced by the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 (Commencement No. 8 and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/1262), made on 1 December and effective from 2 December 2025. This is the eighth commencement instrument under the 2023 Act.
Section 181 of the 2023 Act is now commenced for relevant cases. It amends the Acquisition of Land Act 1981 to require online publication of key CPO notices alongside existing requirements, and defines “appropriate website” as one the public could reasonably be expected to find when searching for information about the underlying scheme. A new section 12A sets the rule for the final day for objections, aligning the 21‑day period with publication milestones.
For minister‑led acquisitions, section 184 brings into force Schedule 19 paragraph 1 so that the corresponding online publicity rules apply to purchases by Ministers under Schedule 1 to the 1981 Act. In practice, where a Minister is the acquiring authority, a notice must also be available online for at least 21 days, mirroring the general regime.
Scope is expressly limited. The commencement applies to CPOs that are either subject to confirmation by a confirming authority other than the Welsh Ministers or prepared in draft by an acquiring authority other than the Welsh Ministers. Separately, Schedule 18 paragraph 3(2) inserts a new section 7(4) into the 1981 Act to clarify that prescribing functions for orders made or confirmed by Welsh Ministers rest with Welsh authorities and Senedd procedure.
Two procedural adjustments also start: section 183(4) is commenced insofar as it relates to Schedule 18 paragraph 3(1) and (2). These provisions expand the list of regulations under the 1981 Act that are subject to the negative procedure (adding section 13BA and paragraph 4AA of Schedule 1) and codify the devolution read‑across noted above. The operative‑date changes in paragraph 3(3) are not commenced by this instrument.
A transitional safeguard applies. If, before 2 December 2025, an acquiring authority first published a notice of making under section 11(1) of the 1981 Act or first published a notice of preparation in draft under paragraph 2(1) of Schedule 1, the new online publicity amendments made by sections 181 and 184 (and Schedule 19 paragraph 1) do not apply to that order. This avoids changing the legal rules mid‑process.
Operationally, acquiring authorities should ensure that the website used for CPO publicity is readily discoverable by the public, keep the notice live for at least 21 days, and align objection deadlines with the timetable set by section 12A. Authorities will need to refresh templates, update project webpages, and verify that service and publication steps are sequenced to support a compliant objection period.
The instrument is signed by the Minister of State, Matthew Pennycook, and notes that no standalone impact assessment has been produced for this SI, with assessment material available at Act level. Earlier commencement regulations have already brought other LUR Act provisions into force, including several planning and compensation changes during 2024–2025.