ABSTRACT
Certain works of a public nature can cause great inconvenience and discomfort to those living nearby: aerodromes and motorways are obvious examples. The deleterious nature of such works may depreciate the value of any affected land and, to the extent that it does, compensation for such injurious affection may be payable. There are serious objections to the principle of compensation, as well as to its adequacy. Paying compensation will mitigate any land value depreciation but it will not remove the source of the inconvenience or discomfort; compensation is only normally available to those with a substantial proprietary interest in the land – tenants or employees who live or work in affected premises do not share in that compensation; and, where the land affected is not held with any land compulsorily acquired from a claimant, the full depreciation in the value of his land is not necessarily payable as compensation: see previous chapter.
