Local Land Charges

What are Local Authority Searches?

A Local Land Charge Search is a search of the Local Land Charge Register which provides information about any local matters that would affect a property.

The Local Land Charges Act 1975 was designed to ensure that prospective purchasers of land were informed of any obligations enforced by local authorities which may affect the property e.g. the full planning history; plans to build new roads in the vicinity; if the highway fronting the property is public or privately maintained; if the area is designated a conservation area; tree preservation order; enforcement notices; housing grants etc.

The full local authority search has two parts:

The first part is called the LLC1, this deals with information from the Local Land Charges register which shows all the registerable charges, i.e. financial charges, improvements grants, tree preservation orders, Planning Agreements and Enforcement Notices, Conditional Planning Consents, Smoke Control Orders and Buildings of Special Architectural and Historic Interest.
The second part is the CON29R, this deals with supplementary information held by the Local Authority. The information is very comprehensive and provides essential answers about the property, such as;

          - is there going to be a major highway running through the property?
          - is the road in front of the property maintained at public expense or will you have to
            maintain it?
          - is there a contravention in relation to a Building Regulation affecting the property?

There are also optional enquiries (CON29O form) that we can reply to if you want more information, such as:

- common land
- public paths or byways.

The Law Society, which regulates solicitors, encourages the use of an official search and considers that a personal search of the statutory register should only be undertaken when time does not permit an official search.

How do I get a search done?

On submission, searches will be accepted for processing providing they include the following:

The full appropriate paperwork;
The full correct address clearly quoted;
An up-to-date accurate scale plan in duplicate showing the extent and location of the subject of the search clearly edged in red;
The correct fee (please click on link below for details of fees):

Land Charge information for 2010 - 2011

Shepway-District-Council-Latest-Turnaround-Times-of-Local-Land-Charges-Searches-09-10

Searches can be submitted via paper or electronically through NLIS (see Online Searches below).

We aim to return all standard official searches within 10 working days.

Online Searches

National Land Information Service (NLIS) provides Solicitors with an electronic means of submitting Local Authority Searches. We have Level 2 capability and are able to return searches electronically.

This system is our preferred method of receiving search requests as it is much quicker and eliminates the need for post or DX.

Below are the contact details for the NLIS Channel providers should you wish to submit a Local Authority Search through NLIS: