Article by Fintan McCluskey , Divisional Director, Valuation and Advisory, at Lisney. (fmccluskey@lisney.com)

What is a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO)?

A Compulsory Purchase Order is a legal process that provides public authorities and certain organisations with statutory authority to acquire privately owned property, typically for an infrastructural project such as roads, rail lines, greenways and water schemes.

The Rise of Greenway Projects in Ireland

In recent years, we have seen a significant increase in the volume of Greenways being opened nationwide, with over €70 million allocated to local authorities to progress 70 Greenway projects across the country in 2024 alone along with approximately 65km of Greenways being delivered last year.

Lisney’s Role in Greenway CPO Projects

Lisney has been working on the CPO of lands for greenways for many years and we have seen first-hand the benefits they can bring.  Recent surveys have found that towns along greenway routes have reported increased business activity, with local hotels, cafés, bike hire shops, and other services seeing a boost in demand.  This increase in tourism has brought a focus on sustainable development and emphasises how greenways can benefit rural economies.  One particular scheme earmarked for future development is the Carrick-on-Shannon to Leitrim Village Blueway, which will provide a cyclist and pedestrian route along the River Shannon, providing recreational experiences along the river and acting as an economic stimulus for the region.

National and Regional Greenways follow the Code of Best Practice for National and Regional Greenways, which was published in 2021 and sets out guidelines for developing greenways in a collaborative way, taking into account the views of landowners, local communities, users and other stakeholders.

Provisions for Property Valuation and Compensation

The code also sets out provisions for valuers to follow when acting on behalf of either the acquiring authority or affected landowners.  These provisions include an overview of the process involved in developing a Greenway from identification of the preferred route by the acquiring authority, when the services of property advisors are made available to landowners, through the design process, the application stage and onto construction of the greenway.  The provisions also cover the main heads of claim for compensation to include the value of the lands subject to acquisition, the devaluation in value to retained lands held by the landowner, and disturbance incurred by the landowner, both during and post construction works.

The Future of Greenway Investment

We anticipate there may be a shift of funding towards road schemes along with public transport, however climate goal targets set out within the Climate Action Plan remain and the continued development of Greenways will assist in hitting these targets.

Need Advice on CPOs or Greenway Projects? Our expert team at Lisney is here to help.