Local land charges

When you buy a house, your solicitor will make a search of the Council's records to ensure there are no hidden surprises or outstanding notices requiring you to take action to remedy an earlier wrong doing.

The local land charges register

Each local authority must maintain a register of local land charges for its administrative area. A principal purpose of the local land charges register is to protect buyers of land and property and help ensure that they are not caught unawares by obligations that are enforceable against successive owners.

There are twelve parts to the register:

• General financial charges (Part 1)
• Specific financial charges (Part 2)
• Planning charges (Part 3)
• Miscellaneous charges (Part 4)
• Fenland ways maintenance charges (Part 5)
• Land compensation charges (Part 6)
• New towns charges (Part 7)
• Civil aviation charges (Part 8)
• Opencast coal charges (Part 9)
• Listed buildings charges (Part 10)
• Light obstruction notices (Part 11)
• Drainage scheme charges (Part 12)

Requisitions for an official search of the register can be made using the form LLC1 and accompanied by two copies of an up to date 1/1250 ordnance survey plan.

Local search enquiries

A standard local land charge search relates to enquiries concerning planning, highways and other matters affecting land/property. These enquiries are made by submitting conveyancing form; Enquiries of Local Authority CON29 Part I (2007 Edition) Standard enquiries and if relevant form CON29 Part 2 (2002 Edition) Optional enquiries.

A standard search is defined as the form LLC1 (Requisition for a search of the local land charges register) plus CON29R Enquiries of the Local Authority in respect of one parcel of land.

CON29O optional enquiries may only be relevant to certain property transactions only.

In addition to the CON 29 Enquiries, applicants can submit their own made up enquiries for an extra charge. These made up enquiries (known as Part 3), must be submitted at the same time as the LLC/CON29. The Council is not under any obligation to answer Part 3 enquiries and it is advisable to contact the Local Land Charges Section to confirm that a response is possible. Plymouth City Council cannot accept enquiries referring to the vicinity or matters which may affect the use of enjoyment of the property. Planning history relating to adjoining properties are limited to 50 metres and are researched back to 5 years (or 10 years if requested) for Part 2 Enquiries.

Landfill/contamination land enquiries are answered direct, by Environmental Regulation Department. Plymouth City Council. Civic Centre. Plymouth. PL1 2EW.

The information obtained from search enquiries cannot be guaranteed beyond the date on which the responses were completed by the authority and notified to the enquirer.

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