As long as there is a proven housing need within the area, Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) can be used where owners refuse to take action to bring a property back into use, where an owner cannot be traced or where a property has been empty for a long time and is causing a nuisance or is a danger to the public.

CPOs are a lengthy process but have been proven to be effective and are usually structured along the following lines:

• formulation - proposal and negotiations are carried out to see if a CPO is justified
• resolution - the local council decides to serve the order
• order - the CPO is submitted to local government and the Secretary of State
• objections - the owner and local residents have a chance to object
• inquiry - if it is needed, there is a public inquiry
• decision - the order is confirmed
• possession - this usually takes a minimum of 3 months
• compensation - the owner is compensated for the loss of the property where appropriate (although this is not always the case)

What happens to a CPO property?

All properties which have had a CPO served on them will be sold on via a preferred purchaser or by auction and monitored to ensure they are brought back into use.