Property buyers in 5 local authority areas will soon be able to obtain Local Land Charges (LLC) information from HM Land Registry's national LLC Register.
Stockton-on-Tees, Spelthorne, Sevenoaks, Stratford-on-Avon and Welwyn Hatfield councils are due to join the register in the next few weeks. Property buyers and conveyancers can then obtain instant online search results, enabling timelier decision-making.
Karina Singh, Director of Transformation at HM Land Registry, said:
We are working closely with local authorities to accelerate the pace of data transfer to the national register. With their support ministers' ambition to migrate all local authorities in England and Wales onto the national register by 2025 will become a reality. We want to make the conveyancing process simpler and faster for everyone, to reduce the risk of transactions failing due to delays. LLC data can also help to speed up planning and investment decisions.
Anyone requiring a LLC search when the 5 local authorities transfer their service to the national register will need to obtain search results using the Search for Local Land Charges service.
| Local authority | Transfer date |
|---|---|
| Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council | 7 April |
| Spelthorne Borough Council | 23 April |
| Sevenoaks District Council | 28 April |
| Stratford-on-Avon District Council | 10 May |
| Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council | 26 May |
Local land charges searches are normally required in the property-buying process. Most LLCs are restrictions or prohibitions on the use of the property such as planning permissions or listed buildings. The LLC search will reveal whether a property is subject to a charge which then informs a buyer's decision to buy a property or parcel of land.
Access LLC data
HM Land Registry's business customers can use their existing portal and Business Gateway channels or their usual search providers to access LLC data for those local authorities which have migrated.
Customers will need to continue to submit CON29 enquiries to the local authority.
(1 minute 18 seconds) for an overview of the service.
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