Local Land Charges and Searches

Overview: Local Land Charges

The Local Land Charges Unit has two prime functions. First, it maintains the Register and issues searches as required by the Local Land Charges Act 1975. Secondly, it assembles information from various departments of the Council to enable replies to be submitted to a form of additional enquiries usually submitted with a search request. This service is largely demand led in terms of the activity in the property market and the number of conveyancing transactions taking place.

What is a Local Land Charge?

A restriction or prohibition on land with or without buildings or a financial charge.

A Local Land Charge is binding on successive owners or occupiers.

A Local Land Charge is normally a creation of statute.

What is a Local Land Charges Search (Official Search)?

Searches are usually undertaken by solicitors, conveyancers and lenders and is carried out by the Local Authority.

An official search is carried out by trained Local Authority Officers.

Most requests for a search of the Local Land Charges Register on form LLC1 are accompanied by a contractual document called "Con29: Enquiries of the Local Authority". The official certificate must be signed on behalf of the registering authority.

What is a Personal Search?

A Personal Search is a search of the Local Land Charges Register, carried out in accordance with the Local Land Charges Act 1975 and Local Land Charges Rules 1977 (as amended).

Any person may make a personal search of the Local Land Charges Register on payment of the prescribed fee. The person making the search is required to provide their company name and contact details. They should also be prepared to identify the parcel of land against which they wish to search. Local Land Charges staff are not always available to assist those wishing to conduct a personal search so some knowledge of Local Land Charges and/or the governing legislation is therefore necessary.

Personal searches can only be assigned on the basis of an appointment system. Appointments are available on a "first come, first served" basis only. In order to make an appointment you will need to contact the Local Land Charges Unit by phone.

What is form LLC1?

Form LLC1 is published by HMSO and is used to requisition an "official" search of the Local Land Charges Register from the relevant authority. The relevant legislation empowers only the "registering authority" to sign form LLC1.

What is form Con29?

Con29 contains supplementary enquiries on Planning, Highways, Building Regulations, drainage and other matters of interest to home buyers. The form is in two parts: Con29R contains the standard enquiries that are usually referred to the local authority in all cases;

Con29O contains some additional optional enquiries that may be referred to the Local Authority in particular cases.

The Law Society holds the copyrights to form Con29 and should be obtained from authorised suppliers.

Parcels of Land

"Parcel of Land" means land (including a building or part of a building) which is separately occupied or separately rated, or in separate ownership.

Fees:

Copying Charges:

Online Searches

We now have Level 3 search capability and are able to return searches electronically. This significantly cuts the time between a search being submitted and the results being delivered to the client by eliminating the need for post or DX.

National Land Information Service ( NLIS )

NLIS connects Conveyancers directly to land and property information held by Local Authorities, central government and other official sources of land and property data.  It offers the highest standards of property search accessibility and by using an NLIS licensed channel, Conveyancers are safe in the knowledge that the searches are authoritative and fully comprehensive. Currently there are two NLIS channels which connect directly to the NLIS Hub:

SearchFlow ( NLIS Licensed Channel)

SearchFlow is the UK's leading property search provider and has completed over eight million searches since it was awarded an NLIS channel license in May 2001. It offers over 80 different search types (both electronic and personal) including Local Authority, Land Registry, water, coal, environmental, planning and utilities.

For further information go to www.searchflow.co.uk

Contact details:

Helpdesk: For general queries, contact helpdesk@searchflow.co.uk or 0870 990 9946

Technical helpdesk For technical queries, contact ictteam@searchflow.co.uk or 0870 990 9947

42 Kings Hill Avenue

Kings Hill

West Malling

Kent

ME19 4AJ

AND

Thames Water - TWPI ( NLIS Licensed Channel)

Thames Water Property Insight (TWPI) is the second licensed NLIS channel to provide authoritative electronic land and property searches nationally through NLIS to solicitors and the conveyancing community. TWPI is offering over 90 property search products sourced directly from Land Registry, local authorities, the Coal Authority, water companies and other providers of land and property information and is able to offer their customers speed, choice and a single, reliable place from which to buy a wide range of quality searches for property transactions across England and Wales.

For further information go to www.twpropertyinsight.co.uk

Contact details:



Telephone TWPI Customer Service Team and Account Management Team are available on 0118 925 1504, Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5.30pm.

DX151280 Slough 13

Thames Water Property Insight

PO Box 3189

Slough

SL1 4WW

For further information visit The National Land Information Service: www.nlis.org.uk

Contact Us

Local Land Charges, Westminster City Council, PO Box 240, Victoria Street, London SW1E 6QP

DX 2310 Victoria

Tel: 020 7641 2413

Fax: 020 7641 6069

Minicom: 020 7641 5912

E-mail: landcharges@westminster.gov.uk