UK Act of Parliament 1981 United Kingdom

Acquisition of Land Act 1981

Enforced by
Planning Inspectorate
Status
Amended (in force with amendments)
Penalty ceiling
Prosecution 1 of 19 obligations carry an unlimited fine. 18 have no criminal penalty — flagged in the list below.

Does it bind you?

Business-side roles with duties under this instrument.

Any Person3

Plus 16 duties on the regulator, Crown ministers and public bodies — folded into the section list below.

Other Acts binding the same actors

If a role above is yours, these are the other instruments that most often bind it.

Any Person — also bound by 2684 other Acts

What it requires

Sections creating concrete business duties or carrying penalties, grouped as the instrument is structured. Titles link to the source text — blue means you’re leaving for legislation.gov.uk.

Part 1

General

1 of 12 sections shown
s.005 Offences relating to information Prosecution
  • Fail to comply with land information notice or provide false informationAny Person

Unlimited fine

11 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
s.002 Tunnels
s.005 Power to require information
Part 2

Purchases By Local And Other Authorities

7 of 17 sections shown
s.010 Preliminary. (opens in a new tab) Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Acquiring authority must put CPO in prescribed form and give statutory noticesLocal authority
s.011 Public notices (opens in a new tab) Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Acquiring authority must publish public notices for compulsory purchase ordersLocal authority
s.012 Notices to owners, lessees , occupiers and others. (opens in a new tab) Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Acquiring authority must notify owners and occupiers before CPO confirmationLocal authority
s.013 Confirmation of order: remaining objections Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Confirming authority must consider remaining objections before confirming CPOCrown / Minister / Government department
s.014 Timetables for confirmation of CPOs except by Welsh Ministers Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Secretary of State must publish CPO confirmation timetables and report annuallyCrown / Minister / Government department
s.015 Notices after confirmation of order (opens in a new tab) Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Acquiring authority must notify affected landowners after CPO confirmationLocal authority
s.015 Directions applying section 14A of the Land Compensation Act 1961 Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Acquiring authority must submit statement of commitments with CPO directionLocal authority
10 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
s.012 Final day for making objections
s.013 Written representations procedure: supplementary
s.013 Conditional confirmation
s.013 Confirmation in stages
s.013 Power to extend time limit for implementation
s.014 Confirmation by acquiring authority
s.014 Timetables for confirmation of CPOs by Welsh Ministers
s.014 Power to appoint inspector
Part 3

Special Kinds of Land

1 of 7 sections shown
Part 4

Validity and Date of Operation of Orders and Certificates

0 of 5 sections shown
Part 5

Procedure in Special Cases

0 of 4 sections shown
Part 6

Footpaths and Bridleways

0 of 2 sections shown
Part 7

Supplemental

0 of 2 sections shown
Schedules

Schedules

10 of 80 shown
s.sch001 (1) This Schedule has effect where a Minister is the... Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Minister must prepare draft compulsory purchase order with map and give noticeCrown / Minister / Government department
s.sch001 (1) The Minister shall— (a) in two successive weeks publish... Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Minister must publicise draft land acquisition orders and allow objectionsCrown / Minister / Government department
s.sch001 (1) The Minister shall serve on every qualifying person a... Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Minister must notify land owners and occupiers before compulsory purchaseCrown / Minister / Government department
s.sch001 (1) This paragraph applies to the making of a compulsory... Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Appropriate authority must consider objections and hold inquiry or hearing before CPOLocal authority
s.sch001 (1) After the order has been made, the Minister must—... Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Minister must serve and publish making notices for compulsory purchase ordersCrown / Minister / Government department
s.sch002 (1) If the owner of any underlying mines or minerals... Regulated
  • Give at least 30 days' written notice before working underlying mines or mineralsAny Person
s.sch002 (1) If before the expiration of 30 days from the... Regulated
  • Mine owners must repair damage caused by improper workingAny Person
s.sch002 (1) If underlying mines extend on both sides of the... Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Acquiring authority must compensate mine owners for severance and restricted workingCrown / Minister / Government department
s.sch002 (1) Where works carried out under paragraph 5 above cause... Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Acquiring authority must pay full compensation for mine-works damageCrown / Minister / Government department
s.sch003 As soon as may be after the giving of a... Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Acquiring authority must publish certificate notice locally and onlineLocal authority
70 other schedules
s.sch001 (1) For the purposes of paragraphs 2 and 3, the...
s.sch001 (1) The Minister may make a compulsory purchase order with...
s.sch001 (1) The Minister may make a compulsory purchase order conditionally....
s.sch001 (1) The Minister may make an order (with or without...
s.sch001 The order, as made by the Minister, shall not, unless...
s.sch002 (1) A compulsory purchase order may, as respects all or...
s.sch002 (1) The acquiring authority shall not be entitled to any...
s.sch002 (1) If underlying mines in which any protected minerals are...
s.sch002 (1) For the purpose of ascertaining whether underlying mines have...
s.sch002 (1) If it appears that mines have been worked contrary...
s.sch002a Section 21A(1)(c) and (2)(c) of the Welsh Development Agency Act...
s.sch002a In the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006—
s.sch002a Enactment authorising acquisitions for educational purposes
s.sch002a Section 142 of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act...
s.sch002a Section 17 of the Housing Act 1985 (acquisition by local...
s.sch002a Section 226 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990...
s.sch002a Section 333ZA of the Greater London Authority Act 1999 (acquisition...
s.sch002a Section 9 of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 (acquisition...
s.sch002a Section 207 of the Localism Act 2011 (acquisition by mayoral...
s.sch002a Enactments authorising acquisitions for purposes of the NHS
s.sch002a Paragraph 27 of Schedule 4 to the National Health Service...
s.sch002a Enactments authorising acquisitions for purposes including housing
s.sch003 In this Schedule “right” means a right to which section...
s.sch003 (1) This Act shall have effect with the modifications necessary...
s.sch003 (1) This paragraph applies where the land over which a...
s.sch003 (1) This paragraph applies to land which—
s.sch003 (1) This paragraph applies to land belonging to the National...
s.sch003 (1) In so far as a compulsory purchase order authorises...
s.sch003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
s.sch003 In the case of land falling within more than one...
s.sch004 In the enactment specified in the Table below for “Acquisition...
s.sch004 . . . . . . . . . ....
s.sch004 (1) The Opencast Coal Act 1958 shall be amended as...
s.sch004 . . . . . . . . . ....
s.sch004 In section 9(2) of the Police Act 1964 for the...
s.sch004 (1) The Compulsory Purchase Act 1965 shall be amended as...
s.sch004 (1) The Agriculture Act of 1967 shall be amended as...
s.sch004 (1) Schedule 4 to the Leasehold Reform Act 1967 shall...
s.sch004 (1) In the Countryside Act 1968 paragraph 3 of Schedule...
s.sch004 (1) Section 10 of the Transport Act 1968 shall be...
s.sch004 In paragraph 3 of Schedule 3 to the Courts Act...
s.sch004 (1) In section 2(1) of the Land Settlement Facilities Act...
s.sch004 . . . . . . . . . ....
s.sch004 . . . . . . . . . ....
s.sch004 . . . . . . . . . ....
s.sch004 In Schedule 2 to the Gas Act 1972 for paragraph...
s.sch004 . . . . . . . . . ....
s.sch004 . . . . . . . . . ....
s.sch004 For subsection (5) of section 13 of the Local Government...
s.sch004 (1) The Development of Rural Wales Act 1976 shall be...
s.sch004 For section 87(4) of the National Health Service Act 1977...
s.sch004 In Schedule 5 to the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas...
s.sch004 (1) The Agriculture Act 1947 shall be amended as follows....
s.sch004 (1) The Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 shall...
s.sch004 (1) The Highways Act 1980 shall be amended as follows....
s.sch004 At the end of section 55(2) of the Animal Health...
s.sch004 In section 72(2) of the New Towns Act 1981 for...
s.sch004 . . . . . . . . . ....
s.sch004 . . . . . . . . . ....
s.sch004 . . . . . . . . . ....
s.sch004 (1) In section 14(2) of the Coast Protection Act 1949...
s.sch004 In section 103 of the National Parks and Access to...
s.sch004 For section 50 of the Housing Repairs and Rents Act...
s.sch005 (1) This paragraph is without prejudice to section 17(2)(a) of...
s.sch005 Any reference, whether express or implied, in any enactment, instrument...
s.sch005 Where a period of time specified in any enactment repealed...
s.sch005 (1) Any reference in this Act (whether express or implied)...
s.sch005 Section 1(1)(a) of this Act includes in particular a compulsory...
s.sch005 Section 17(3) and paragraph 4(3) of Schedule 3 above—
s.sch005 The repeal by this Act of section 3 of the...

Duty extraction and severity labels are Guvnor’s analysis of the instrument, not the instrument itself. Always verify against the linked source text.