The Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 (Commencement No. 8 and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2025

Made: 1st December 2025

The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 255(7), (11) and (12) of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023[^f00001].

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1

• (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 (Commencement No. 8 and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2025.

• (2) This regulation and regulation 3 come into force on the day after the day on which these Regulations are made.

• (3) In these Regulations—

• “the 1981 Act” means the Acquisition of Land Act 1981[^f00002];

• “acquiring authority”, “compulsory purchase order”, and “confirming authority” have the meaning given to those terms in section 7(1) of the 1981 Act (interpretation).

Provisions coming into force on the day after the day on which these Regulations are made

2

• (1) The following provisions of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023, so far as not already commenced, come into force on the day after the day on which these Regulations are made—

• (a) section 181 (online publicity) in relation to compulsory purchase orders to which paragraph (2) applies;

• (b) section 183(4) (conditional confirmation), so far as it relates to the provisions of Schedule 18 brought into force by sub-paragraph (d);

• (c) section 184 (corresponding provision for purchases by Ministers), so far as it relates to the provisions of Schedule 19 brought into force by sub-paragraph (e);

• (d) paragraph 3(1) and (2) of Schedule 18 (conditional confirmation and making of compulsory purchase orders: consequential amendments);

• (e) paragraph 1 of Schedule 19 (corresponding provision for purchases made by Ministers: online publicity) in relation to compulsory purchase orders to which paragraph (2) applies.

• (2) This paragraph applies to compulsory purchase orders that are—

• (a) subject to confirmation under Part 2 of the 1981 Act by a confirming authority other than the Welsh Ministers[^f00003], or

• (b) prepared in draft under paragraph 1 of Schedule 1 to that Act by an acquiring authority other than the Welsh Ministers.

Transitional provision

3

• (1) The amendments made to the 1981 Act by the provisions brought into force by regulation 2(1)(a), (c) and (e) do not apply in relation to a compulsory purchase order where the date in paragraph (2) is before the date on which those provisions come into force.

• (2) The date in this paragraph is the date on which—

• (a) notice of the making of the order is first published pursuant to section 11(1) of the 1981 Act, or

• (b) notice of the preparation in draft of the order is first published pursuant to paragraph 2(1) of Schedule 1 to the 1981 Act.

Signed

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government

Matthew Pennycook — Minister of State — Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government — 1st December 2025

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

Explanatory Note

These Regulations are the eighth commencement regulations under the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 (c. 55, “the 2023 Act”).

Regulation 2(1)(a), (c) and (e), read with regulation 2(2), brings into force certain provisions of the 2023 Act insofar as they relate to compulsory purchase orders (“CPOs”) subject to confirmation by a confirming authority other than the Welsh Ministers, or prepared in draft by a Minister other than a Welsh Minister: specifically, the remainder of section 181, and paragraph 1 of Schedule 19 (and section 184 to the extent it introduces that paragraph).

Section 181 of the 2023 Act amends the Acquisition of Land Act 1981 (c. 67) (“the 1981 Act”) by amending sections 7, 11, 12, 15 and 22, and paragraph 9 of Schedule 3, as well as inserting a new section 12A. Paragraph 1 of Schedule 19 to the 2023 Act amends paragraphs 2, 3 and 6 of Schedule 1 to the 1981 Act, as well as inserting a new paragraph 3A into that Schedule. All of the amended and inserted provisions relate to notices and documents required as part of the CPO process; the effect of the amendments is to require that certain notices and documents be made available online.

Regulation 2(1)(b) and (d) brings into force paragraph 3(1) and (2) of Schedule 18 to the 2023 Act. Taken together, these paragraphs firstly, amend section 7(3) of the 1981 Act so that regulations made under section 13BA of, and paragraph 4AAof Schedule 1 to, the 1981 Act are subject to the negative procedure in Parliament and secondly, insert new section 7(4) into the 1981 Act which clarifies the responsibility of Welsh authorities when prescribing anything under the 1981 Act for CPOs made or confirmed by Welsh Ministers.

Regulation 3 contains a transitional provision relating to the amendments made by sections 181, 184 and paragraph 1 of Schedule 19. This ensures the amendments do not affect CPOs where a relevant statutory public notice has been published before the relevant provisions come into force to avoid changing the law applicable to those CPOs mid-process.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary sector or community bodies is foreseen. An impact assessment has been produced in relation to the 2023 Act and copies can be obtained at https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3155/publications or from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government at 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 2023 c. 55.

[^f00002]: 1981 c. 67.

[^f00003]: See article 2 of, and Schedule 1 to, the National Assembly for Wales (Transfer of Functions) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/672) which transferred various functions of a Minister of the Crown, including under the Acquisition of Land Act 1981 (1981 c. 67), to the National Assembly for Wales and paragraph 30 of Schedule 11 to the Government of Wales Act 2006 (c. 32) which transferred those functions to the Welsh Ministers.