Upper Tribunal Lands Chamber Forms UK Guide

What this document is

The Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) handles a specific group of property-related disputes in England and Wales, including rating assessments, restrictive covenant applications, compulsory purchase compensation, and telecoms infrastructure disputes under the Electronic Communications Code. Because these cases often involve detailed evidence, expert witnesses, and complex legal arguments, the Tribunal issues standard directions forms to help parties prepare their material in a consistent and orderly way.

A directions form sets out the procedural steps both sides need to follow, things like exchanging statements of case, serving expert reports, agreeing bundles, and fixing a hearing window. The forms covered here (RA1, LP1, ACQ-LCA1 and ECC1) each correspond to a different type of case and carry their own expectations about content and structure.

They are not claim forms in themselves but rather the framework that governs how a dispute already before the Tribunal will be managed through to hearing.

How to use this document

1. Identify the correct form for your type of case. Before anything else, work out which Tribunal track your dispute falls under. Rating assessment appeals use Form RA1, restrictive covenant applications use Form LP1, compulsory purchase compensation claims use Form ACQ-LCA1, and electronic communications code matters use Form ECC1. Picking the wrong form can delay your case significantly.
2. Gather the underlying case information. Pull together the names and addresses of all parties, the property address, the valuation or decision being challenged, and any reference numbers already issued by the Tribunal or the Valuation Office. Having this ready means you can complete the introductory sections without stopping halfway through.
3. Set out your grounds and the facts clearly. Each directions form expects a concise statement of why you are bringing the matter to the Tribunal and the factual background behind it. Keep this focused on the points genuinely in dispute rather than rehearsing the whole history. The Tribunal values clarity over volume.
4. Prepare your evidence and document list. Most forms ask you to list the documents you intend to rely on and to identify any expert witnesses, surveyors, or barristers involved. For valuation-heavy cases such as rating or compensation, the expert report is usually the centre of gravity, so plan the evidence schedule around when that report can realistically be served.
5. Submit the form and track the directions timetable. Once filed, the Tribunal will either approve the draft directions or adjust them. From that point the dates in the directions are binding, missing a deadline for serving evidence or filing a bundle can have consequences for the hearing, so diarise everything and keep the other side informed of progress.

Common questions