England planning and CPO changes begin 18 Feb 2026
You’ll see practical changes to planning, land assembly and nature recovery within weeks. A statutory instrument on legislation.gov.uk, signed at 2.20 p.m. on 18 December 2025, sets start dates for parts of the Levelling‑up and Regeneration Act 2023 and the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025. We’ve turned the legal text into plain English so you can teach it, revise it or use it at work.
Three dates matter. Some provisions began the day after the regulations were made, on 19 December 2025. A larger block starts on 18 February 2026. A specific reporting duty begins on 1 April 2026. Keep these in your notes when checking whether an old or new rule applies to a case study or live scheme.
Compulsory purchase is the first big change. From 18 February 2026, sections 183 and 184 of the 2023 Act allow a confirming authority to authorise a compulsory purchase order (CPO) subject to conditions before powers can be used. Linked amendments in Schedules 18 and 19 also take effect, giving promoters clearer routes to conditional confirmation.
Who is covered matters. The instrument says these CPO changes apply where the order is confirmed by a confirming authority other than the Welsh Ministers, or prepared in draft by an acquiring authority other than the Welsh Ministers. In practice, you should treat these commencement dates as applying in England while Wales runs on its own timetable.
Notice requirements and vesting accelerate next. Section 106 of the 2025 Act simplifies what land descriptions must go in newspaper notices during the CPO process. Sections 108 and 109 amend the Compulsory Purchase (Vesting Declarations) Act 1981 to enable earlier vesting where land is unoccupied or interests are unknown, and earlier vesting by agreement. Regulation‑making powers for these were live from 19 December 2025; the main effect in England applies from 18 February 2026.
Transitional rules are exam gold. If the notice of making a CPO, or the notice that a draft CPO has been prepared, was first published before 18 February 2026, the new conditional‑confirmation amendments to the Acquisition of Land Act 1981 do not apply to that order. Separately, the expedited vesting changes do not apply to compulsory acquisitions authorised before the relevant section comes into force. Always check first publication dates.
National Policy Statements (NPS) enter a regular review cycle. From 18 February 2026, an NPS must be fully reviewed and updated at least every five years. There is an additional parliamentary route for material policy changes, and the process for legal challenges to NPSs and to development consent decisions under the Planning Act 2008 is adjusted. For public law students, this reframes the oversight of nationally significant infrastructure.
Development corporations get clearer powers on the same date. Sections 100 to 103 tidy how different corporation types relate, resolve overlaps in favour of the higher‑tier body, and standardise objectives on sustainable development, climate change and good design. The list of infrastructure they can deliver is aligned so promoters face fewer mismatches between corporation types.
Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) can now be prepared. From 19 December 2025, Natural England can define an EDP’s area, the kind and volume of development, the time period, environmental features and impacts, and the conservation measures proposed. When it decides to prepare an EDP, it must notify the Secretary of State and publish that notification, then administer, implement and monitor the plan.
Co‑operation is built in. Public authorities must give Natural England reasonable assistance when an EDP is prepared or implemented. The Act also provides for statutory instruments to create a nature restoration levy and sets general duties for Natural England and the Secretary of State when exercising EDP functions. These are the operational rules students should watch as guidance emerges.
Accountability follows on 1 April 2026. Natural England must publish an annual report for each financial year on how it has used its EDP powers. For classrooms, these reports will offer measurable evidence to evaluate whether the plans are improving habitats alongside development.
What this means for you. If you handle CPOs, refresh notice templates and map whether your scheme falls before or after the 18 February cut‑off; publication dates are decisive. If you study infrastructure planning, track upcoming NPS reviews and watch how the revised judicial review route shapes challenges. If you work in local government or a community group, look out for EDP notifications and be ready to contribute to consultation.
A quick glossary to teach from. A CPO lets a public body acquire land without the owner’s agreement, with compensation. A general vesting declaration is how title passes to the acquiring authority on a set date. An NPS sets the policy framework for nationally significant infrastructure and guides Development Consent Order decisions. An EDP is Natural England’s programme to define, secure and monitor conservation measures alongside development, potentially supported by a nature restoration levy.
Provenance matters. Everything here comes from the commencement regulations signed by Minister of State Matthew Pennycook on 18 December 2025 and published on legislation.gov.uk. When you cite this in coursework or briefings, include those dates-they determine which rulebook applies.