01782 713444 or 01785 850866

Compulsory Purchase & Compensation

Hinson Parry has a wealth of experience in compulsory purchase and compensation matters and can quickly and effectively deal with a claim for property compensation on your behalf, whether it be by compulsory acquisition or the acquisition of wayleaves and easements by negotiation.

Here at Hinson Parry & Company we offer advice the moment any infrastructure scheme is announced. A Compulsory purchase Order (CPO) or Development Consent Order (DCO) allows certain statutory authorities to obtain land or property without the consent of the owners, meaning that you or your business may possibly be displaced.

In the case of any new infrastructure, the first contact that the landowner may receive is from the company or their agents wishing to carry out a survey of the land to see whether or not the route is feasible. Damage to land and the loss of crops can begin at this time and so it is important that you seek advice as soon as you think your property may be impacted.

Although it may be some time before statutory notices are served, we always recommend getting professional advice from the outset, which may allow some input into the route of the proposed works, access arrangements and the such like.

We will guide you through the complex statutory processes involved, provide you with strategic advice, explaining the rights you have, the compensation provisions that you are entitled to and discuss and agree any works necessary to protect your interest and liaise with you throughout the construction period.

The process can be very distressing for those whose land is being acquired and therefore it is important to have an experienced professional by your side to ensure the process goes smoothly. In the event that there is a professional dispute with the acquiring authority as to the amount of the claim or a point of law, we will be able to advise on taking you claim through to disputes resolution via mediation, the Lands Tribunal or the Courts.

Compensation can be claimed when overhead pylons, poles or lines impact upon the value of a property or on its development potential. We have specialised in this field for over twenty years, and as a consequence have built up a large database of comparable evidence through the thousands of cases we have negotiated. This places us in an advantageous position to negotiate on your behalf as we have the resources to negotiate with utility companies.

Similarly, pipelines need to be accessed and maintained periodically. We act for many landowners when utility companies or statutory bodies require access to land. Should your land be disturbed, you are entitled to claim compensation for loss of crop, damage done and for loss of development value due to the works. We negotiate on behalf of landowners to ensure that the maximum compensation is gained in such instances.

While having pylons or wooden poles on your land may not seem like too much of an intrusion, especially when they come with a cash offer, it may not be in your long-term interest to sign into such an agreement. We are experts in interpreting the agreements presented by utility companies and can advise on whether this may have an impact on the future value of your property and ensure you obtain the best compensation and outcome possible.

Travel by train has been key for the development of the UK since the industrial revolution. As rail travel becomes more innovative, there is a need for investment in both maintenance of existing lines and for new developments.

We represent clients who are affected by Network Rail and more recently those affected by the high-profile High Speed 2 since its announcement in 2010. Phase 1 of the HS2 route runs from London to Birmingham, Phase 2a from Birmingham to Crewe, Phase 2b West from Crewe to Manchester and Phase 2b East from Birmingham to Leeds.

At present, Phase 1 has gained Royal Assent and the main civil engineering has started. The first trains are expected to run on this part of the line in 2024. The entire project has a planned finish date in 2033.

As a company we have sold over 200 affected properties to HS2. We have also petitioned in Parliament on behalf of landowners in order to minimise the detrimental impact that HS2 would have upon their business. There are several schemes which you may be eligible for if you are affected by HS2 including Blight, The Need to Sell Scheme, The Rural Support Zone and Homeowner Protection Zone.

If your property is affected in anyway by HS2 or Network Rail then we have decades of combined experience in getting the best possible compensation for our clients. We can advise you on the particulars of each scheme and negotiate with acquiring authorities on your behalf. We only act for landowners, never for acquiring authorities, meaning that our clients are never compromised.

For advice in respect to High Speed Rail compensation contact Roger, Rebecca or Simon on 01785 850866 or email r.bedson@hinsonparry.co.uk.

As the UK population expands as does the road infrastructure and compensation can be claimed in relation to public works such as highways in several instances.

Where there is land take or compulsory acquisition, compensation can be claimed if your land or property is directly affected in the following ways –

Compensation can be claimed if your land or property is directly affected, for the value of land taken, for losses arising from land being split (severance), for any reduction in the value of land remaining (injurious affection) and for disturbance and losses to a business or individuals unrelated to land value that arise due to the scheme. Statutory loss payments may also be claimed.

Where a property owner has no land taken, but the property is reduced in value due to the development or widening of a road, claims can be made under the Land Compensation Act 1973 Part 1. You can claim for an increase in noise, vibrations, smells, dust, seepage and lighting.

Our representation of thousands of clients in such matters means that we have a vast database of evidence which can be used to strengthen our negotiations and achieve the best possible compensation.

We have settled thousands of new road compensation claims under this heading and are currently representing clients on schemes such as the A380 South Devon Link Road, the A421 Bedford Bypass, the Lincoln Eastern Bypass, the A6 Manchester Airport Relief Road, and many other schemes throughout the country.

Highways compensation claims is a specialist area, for advice and guidance, please call Roger Bedson on 01785 850866 or email  fiona@hinsonparry.co.uk.

The powers and duties of electricity transmission companies in the UK are set out in the Electricity Act 1989.  The right to claim compensation will depend on whether or not the electricity company has a temporary wayleave in place or a permanent easement.
In many cases, property compensation is paid where a terminable wayleave exists.
We have settled many thousands of claims for clients around the country, for example where pylons or overhead electric lines impact on value or impede development on:
Residential and urban properties
Agricultural properties and farms
Commercial properties and development land
Our clients have included owners of residential properties, owners of farms and estates and owners or occupiers of commercial property, particularly where development is impeded and compensation for loss of development potential is claimed and has been awarded.  We have helped to settle claims on a number of prominent development sites which have been affected by overhead powerlines and we would be happy to discuss your claim with you.
Pursuing and settling pylon compensation claims has been a major part of our work over the last ten years and we have a substantial database of settlement evidence which allows us to do the best job for our clients.
There are now many firms offering to claim compensation for clients who have wooden poles across their land.  PLEASE BE CAREFUL.  In many cases, it is not in a landowners long term interest to offer permanent rights for wood pole lines.  For example, we have seen some terrible advice given to clients who have been advised to give an electricity company permanent rights to keep wooden pole lines in place where clearly, the location of those wooden poles could inhibit development in the future.  Also, by giving away permanent rights for a few thousand pounds now could mean that your negotiating position in the future has been lost if ever you need something from the electricity company.  Each case should be treated on its merits but we would certainly advise caution when dealing with wood pole lines.

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