The Land Development Agency (LDA) was established on 13 September 2018 by way of Establishment Order under the Local Government Services (Corporate Bodies) Act 1971.
On establishment, the LDA had access to an initial tranche of 8 publicly owned sites that have near term delivery potential for 3,000 new homes and an additional potential for 7,000 new homes. The LDA will also be involved in strategic land assembly by consolidating strategic privately owned lands, for example lands which may be key to opening up the potential of public lands, or which may present long-term strategic land-assembly opportunities, to ensure land supply to the market on an enduring basis, including the potential use of compulsory purchase powers where required.
A Land Development Agency Bill is currently being prepared, which will include provisions for the LDA to compulsorily acquire lands, if necessary, to deliver on its mandate. It is expected that a General Scheme of the LDA Bill will be published in the coming weeks, with pre-legislative scrutiny to follow shortly thereafter.