Land Charges

Local Searches Completed By Local People With Local Knowledge

 

Service Description

The Official Local Land Charges service maintains the Register of Local Land Charges and provides a fast and efficient Local Land Charges service which complies with statutory requirements.

 

General Information

Whenever a property or piece of land is sold, purchased, leased or re-mortgaged a Local Land Charges Search is made to find out if there are any matters affecting the property.

There are three types of search

• LLC1 [pdf] 53KB - The Official Search of the Local Land Charges Register - which deals with registrable charges such as Tree Preservation Orders, Conditional Planning Consents, Improvement Grants etc.
• CON29-R or Component Data Package [pdf] 159KB - Required - which deals with a series of standard questions about highways, building control and planning etc.
• CON29-O [pdf] 49KB - Optional - which contains a series of additional questions which can be asked if required by the purchaser. It is possible to select these questions individually according to your own requirements.

Normally the LLC1 search is made together with a CON29 'R' search and is known as the ‘standard search’.

Replies given to a Standard Search (LLCI and CON29'R') apply only to the property which is the subject of the Search. If you require any information about adjacent properties it is possible to request this and pay an additional parcel fee at the time of the request. Consult your legal advisor before submitting your search application, or contact us.

 

How to make an application

• All search requests must include an Ordnance Survey (OS) site location at a scale of 1:1250 with the property clearly outlined in red.
• The correct fee must be enclosed. (see below)
• If you don't know the correct fee, please call us.
•  

Official Search of the Register of Local Land Charges only

This is the LLC1 form only which, as with all the local search forms, can be submitted separately. An LLC1 will show what restrictions or planning consents apply to the property and is completed by expert and locally knowledgeable staff and you also have the added security in knowing that your search is fully covered by insurance for life in the case of any error, no matter when that error is discovered.

 

Copy Documents

Cancellation of Search Requests

Once a search has been accepted and registered no refund or part refund can be made.

 

Fees for Local Land Charges service

• With effect from 1st January 2017 the Con29 element of searches will be subject to standard rate VAT.

Full Fee Structure

Full Fee Structure	2024 & 2025	To make a payment click on the link below
CON29	£138	CON29 Official Search
LLC1 only	£62	LLC1
Extra Parcel fee	£46	Extra Parcel Fee
CON29’O’ Questions	£52 each	CON29'O' Questions
Component Data Search Package	£46	Component Data Search
Solicitors own Questions	£89 each	Solicitors Own Questions
Personal Search Viewing	£0	Please contact us.
Quotation Service	£25	Please contact us.

Please Note : A Component data Service package is a set of Con29 data that the Local Land Charges team research, collate on your behalf from various originating departments and email to the requestor with a copy of the Local Land charges register. This includes Building Control (1.1 J, K and L). Outstanding Notices (3.7 a – g but not including e), Contraventions of building regulations (3.8) and Compulsory purchase (3.12).

 

What is a local land charges search

A full official local authority land charges search comprises two parts and is completed by council staff who are experts in their field and maintain the only fully authoritative database available:

•  The register of local land charges contains details of all local land charges registered against land or property that are binding on the current owner and all successive owners of the land.
• The form enquiries of local authority (known as forms CON29 'R' and 'O') supplements the register of local land charges by seeking information which is outside the scope of a land charge but relevant to an intending purchaser/mortgagee.

 

When is a search necessary

Searches and enquiries should be made on:

• every purchase and mortgage (or sale in some cases)
• on every taking or assignment of a lease
• property used as security
• on long-term rent (although not absolutely necessary).

For more information and guidance on how to buy and sell a home please refer to the links below that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published on 7^th May 2019 that provides a really helpful overview of the process and the important steps you go through when purchasing or selling a property.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-buy-a-home

www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-sell-a-home

 

What Information will a Local Authority Search tell me

The register of local land charges contains details of all local land charges registered against land or property.

In addition to the register, an integral part of the modern conveyancing process is the standard enquiry form known as CON29'R'. This enquiry is in two parts:

• CON29'R' which is a list of questions relating to highways, planning and building control matters which would have an effect on the property. These would include matters such as traffic schemes, compulsory purchase, public footpaths, building control and enforcement issues. This list is not exhaustive and there are other issues which could be revealed.
• CON29'O' are 'Optional' questions that you may wish to ask of us. In addition, you can ask any reasonable question of your own which we refer to as Part 3 Questions.
• Additional fees are payable for the 'official' completion of the CON29'O' and Part 3 questions.

The CON29'R' enquiries deal with Town Planning, Drainage, Highways, Environmental Health and Building Regulations:

• Planning is the most comprehensive section dealing with Forward Planning which sets out rules on development control. What can and cannot be built and to what standards.
• History of planning applications since 1st January 1990.
• Enforcement Proceedings which may be served on the land or property as well as whether the property has permitted development rights removed for minor development, for example, fences, gates and porches (Article 4 Direction Orders), Tree Preservation Orders, Conservation Areas, neglected Listed Buildings which have been served with a repairs or preservation notice and whether the council has cancelled a valid grant of planning permission.
• Replies to the Drainage enquiries are now limited to Agreements for building over public sewers or sewer easements - restrictions on development near trunk sewers.
• Highway matters deal with whether the roadways including the footways are maintainable at public expense, meaning whether the council is responsible for the cost of maintenance or whether the roadways and footways are private and if the cost of maintenance lies with the property owners.
• Highway schemes. Major highway schemes include new roads, property acquisition and road improvements such as widening, construction projects such as underpasses, subways and flyovers for example.
• Searches will now include information on traffic management schemes. Examples include schemes such as traffic calming, one way driving, waiting/loading restrictions, road closures to through traffic, proposed residents parking zones, cycle routes as well as other traffic management proposals.
• Environmental Health deal with public health notices that have been served on land or property such as unfit housing and blight notices. Information regarding any grants will also be revealed.
• Building Regulations deal with constructional details of buildings which set down minimum building standards and action against unauthorised building work that is unsafe. Searches include details of Building Regulation applications submitted from 1996.

Also covered in the standard search enquiry are matters relating to compulsory purchase, construction of new railways and properties affected by radon gas.

CON29'O' enquiries are optional and additional fees are payable for each question asked. Categories of question include:

• Public Rights of Way.
•  Strategic Planning, for example Enterprise Zones.
• Environmental Notices.
• Food Safety and hygiene standards.
• Radon Gas precautions and measures.
• Advertisement Restrictions and Register of Advertisement applications.

Part 3 is any reasonable question of your own that we can answer.

 

What we won't tell you

Anything that is outside the boundary of the property being searched. This includes items such as planning and building regulation applications on adjoining properties or parcels of land adjacent to the property being searched and major developments within the neighbourhood. We can respond to these matters as a Part 3 Enquiry for which an additional fee is payable.

 

Who can apply for a Search

Anyone can apply. You can make the application yourself or through your Solicitor or Licensed Conveyancer.

You will need an LLC1 and CON29 'R' and 'O' form - which are available to buy from legal stationers. In addition you must also provide with your application an OS site location plan showing the boundary of your property outlined in red at a scale of no less than 1:1250. These can be obtained from many websites such as the ‘Ordnance Survey’ official site.

If you wish to request and purchase a Component Data Search Package with property address details, search request and email them with an OS extract plan of a scale of 1:1250 with the property clearly outlined in red, to LLCPI@castlepoint.gov.uk

 

Making an Application

Members of the public and other agents are able to view the Local Land Charge register for free. Please email your request to LLCPI@castlepoint.gov.uk including the full address and Postcode with a an OS extract plan of a scale of 1:1250 with the property clearly outlined in red. The service will email you a copy of the register entry for that location / address.

The results will be returned, by email, within 20 working days of receipt and validation.

Information which is provided on the Council's website will not be provided through the Property Information Service. Where records such as planning files, are available for public inspection and also held on the website either method of access can be used to obtain the information requested. Information that is available from an external organisation or public utility, such as the Water Utilities, will not be provided as part of the Property Information Request.