Guidance

The Land Compensation Manual

The Valuation Office Agency's technical manual covering all aspects of compulsory purchase and compensation.

• From: HM Revenue & Customs and Valuation Office Agency
• Published: 15 October 2018
• Last updated: 10 April 2026
  Show all updates

  1. 10 April 2026

     Added reference to the changes to legislation that have not yet been reflected in the guidance relating to hope value, Certificates of Appropriate Alternative Development (CAAD) and statutory loss payments.

  2. 15 October 2018

     First published.

Documents

Land Compensation Manual Section 1: Compulsory purchase - general

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/land-compensation-manual-section-1-compulsory-purchase-general

Land Compensation Manual Section 2: Compensation for land taken

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/land-compensation-manual-section-2-compensation-for-land-taken

Land Compensation Manual Section 3: Effect of the acquisition on claimant’s retained land

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/land-compensation-manual-section-3-effect-of-the-acquisition-on-claimant-s-retained-land

Land Compensation Manual Section 4: Disturbance

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/land-compensation-manual-section-4-disturbance

Land Compensation Manual Section 5: Costs and fees

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/land-compensation-manual-section-5-appendix-5-1-ryde-s-scale-1996

Land Compensation Manual Section 6: Incidents affecting value

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/land-compensation-manual-section-6-incidents-affecting-value

Land Compensation Manual Section 7: Interests for a year, from year to year, or for less than a year

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/land-compensation-manual-section-7-interests-for-a-year-or-from-year-to-year

Land Compensation Manual Section 8: Agricultural interests

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/land-compensation-manual-section-8-agricultural-interests

Land Compensation Manual Section 9: Slum clearance and associated procedures

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/land-compensation-manual-section-9-slum-clearance-and-associated-procedures

Land Compensation Manual Section 10: Special cases with the compensation code

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/land-compensation-manual-section-10-special-cases-with-the-compensation-code

Land Compensation Manual Section 11: Minerals, tipping sites and contaminated land

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/land-compensation-manual-section-11-minerals-tipping-sites-and-contaminated-land

Land Compensation Manual Section 12: Licenced premises

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/land-compensation-manual-section-12-licenced-premises

Land Compensation Manual Section 13: Loss payments

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/land-compensation-manual-section-13-loss-payments

Land Compensation Manual Section 14: Injurious affection - no land taken

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/land-compensation-manual-section-14-injurious-affection-no-land-taken

Land Compensation Manual Section 15: Rights of owners to enforce purchase of lands

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/land-compensation-manual-section-15-rights-of-owners-to-enforce-purchase-of-lands

Land Compensation Manual Section 16: Estimates, Negotiations, Reports and Advance Payments

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/land-compensation-manual-section-16-estimates-negotiations-reports-and-advance-payments

Land Compensation Manual Section 17: References to the Upper Tribunal (Land chamber)

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/land-compensation-manual-section-17-references-to-the-upper-tribunal-land-chamber

Land Compensation Manual Section 18: Value Added Tax on land and buildings

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/land-compensation-manual-section-18-value-added-tax-on-land-and-buildings

Details

The Land Compensation Manual is the Valuation Office Agency’s technical manual that covers all aspects of compulsory purchase and compensation.

This manual does not yet reflect significant changes made in respect of reflecting ‘hope value’, costs for Certificates of Appropriate Alternative Development (CAAD) and the application of statutory loss payments. These changes (and others made in recent Acts of Parliament) will be updated shortly.