Land Charges and Local Searches

The Local Land Charges team is responsible for the maintenance of the Local Land Charges Register and the administration and co-ordination of all official Local Searches carried out in the Breckland area; requirements for conveyancing are satisfied by the submission of a Local Search.

Local searches are usually submitted by a solicitor or licensed conveyancer on behalf of a prospective purchaser of property; searches provide a purchaser with as full a picture as possible of the property they are buyng.

Searches can be submitted either by post, Document Exchange(DX) or electronically via National Land Information Service (NLIS).  Currently we aim to return searches within 10 working days.

Breckland Council is connected to the National Land Information Service at Level 2 which means that search applications can be submitted electronically using one of the three licensed NLIS channels, listed below.  Searches can also be returned electronically via NLIS.

Fees for electronic searches - Contact one of the NLIS providers below

www.searchflow.co.uk        www.tmproperty.co.uk        www.transaction-online.co.uk

Breckland Council is not responsible for the content or reliability of external websites.  Inclusion of an external link is not an endorsement.

The local search is in two parts:

LLC1 - is a search of the Local Land Charges Register and reveals any legal charges against the property being searched, for example:

• whether a property is a listed building
• is within a designated conservation area
• whether there is a tree preservation order protecting trees on the property
• if there are any planning restrictions on the property.

CON 29 Part I - Enquiries of the Local Authority
CON 29 Part II - Optional Enquiries of the Local Authority.
(Part II enquiries are conditional on the submission of Part I, together with the current fee as listed below.)

The CON 29 is a standard form of enquiries, agreed between the Law Society and Local Government organisations. It reveals information obtained from departments within Breckland Council and Norfolk County Council, for example:

• Planning
• Building Control
• Environmental Health
• Highways.

Scheme of fees:

The Authority has a duty to carry out the searches as expeditiously as possible as they are an important part of the conveyancing process and are required by purchasers’ solicitors before the completion date of the purchase.

Personal searches

A Guide to Personal Searches – March 2009 for financial year 2009/2010

Breckland Council operates an appointment system on a first come first served basis, between the hours of 10am and 4pm Monday to Thursday and 10am to 3.30pm Friday.  We require 24 hours notice.  If we are already booked for the appointment and day you require, you will be offered the next available appointment.

Appointments are for I hour.  Each personal search company may carry out a maximum of 4 personal searches per appointment, one appointment per day.  

Bookings are taken by phone on 01362 656369.  You must provide your name, property address and email a plan showing the property boundaries clearly marked, to land.charges@breckland.gov.uk  or FAX  01362 696771.

On arrival at our Dereham Office, you will pay the statutory fee of £22.00 per search, by cheque and carry out the personal search of the Land Charges Register and Planning Register unassisted by authority staff.  Therefore some knowledge of Local Land Charges is required.

As from 6 April 2009 access to CON 29R information will be made available to personal search companies at cost recovery fees as shown below.  Information will be available at Elizabeth House, Walpole Loke, Dereham, Norfolk, NR19 1EE.

Access to public registers will be available free of charge.  

NOTE:  Only references to existing notices or orders can be found on public registers.

The Local Land Charges system is not currently fully computerised, although we are progressing towards this.  Therefore information held by the Breckland District Council will be provided in the form of an answer sheet from each contributing department for personal search companies to view and take notes and then return information sheets to Land Charges Department.

All Highways Information is held by Norfolk County Council.

In addition to Breckland’s responses, Norfolk County Council also answer enquiries 1.2, 3.1, 3.7(e), 3.9(g-i) and 3.11.  Contact address below.

Land Charges
Planning & Transportation Department
Norfolk County Council
County Hall
Martineau Lane
Norwich
NR1 2SG

landcharge.pt@norfolk.gov.uk

If required, CON 29O Enquiries 5, 8 & 19 should also be made of Norfolk County Council.  Contact Terry Lutteral, 01603 223224 for Norfolk County Council’s fees.

Water and Drainage enquiries are answered by
Geodesys Ltd
PO Box 485
Huntingdon  
Cambridge  
PE29 6YB  

Telephone 01480 323889 for Geodesys’ fees.

Information regarding Radon Gas, including an indicative version of Radon Affected Areas Map, is available on the Health Protection Agency web site (http://www.hps.org.uk/radiation/radon/index.htm)

If you require any further assistance, please contact Land Charges Department (as below)

The Local Land Charges Register is available for inspection by members of the public.
Applicants must provide a plan of the property and it is necessary to make an appointment giving 24 hours notice.

To contact the Land Charges Team

Telephone
01362 656873

email
land.charges@breckland.gov.uk

DX Address
DX743950 Dereham 2

visit or write
Breckland Council
Land Charges Team
Elizabeth House
Walpole Loke
DEREHAM
Norfolk
NR19 1EE

opening hours
Monday to Thursday   9.00am to 5:00pm
Friday                        9.00am to 4.30pm
The office remains open throughout the lunch period.