Local Land Charges Search

What's it all about?

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

Please note the information given in a search relates to the property that is the subject of the search and no other properties in the vicinity of the property.

Official local land charge searches

The Local Land Charge Section carries out all official searches covered by the Local Land charges Act 1975, guaranteeing comprehensive replies to the official LLC1 and CON29 enquiries.

The Law Society, which regulates Solicitors, encourages the use of Official Searches and considers that alternative personal searches of the statutory register, disclosing only limited information, should only be undertaken with the approval of the client when time does not permit Official Searches.

The Search will be in two parts:-

LLC1 - this first part, the Official Certificate of Search Form, deals with all the registrable charges, for example financial charges (registered against the property by the local authority), improvement grants, tree preservation orders, conditional planning consents and agreements.

CON29 - the second part, called Enquiries of Local Authorities Form deals with issues such as road schemes, the planning history of the property and various notices which affect the property.

The CON 29 enquiries questionnaire, which forms part of the Official Search, contains many 'Warning' questions, the answers to which you will not find on any of the statutory registers.

Examples of the information only to be found by submitting a CON 29 are given below:-

• Compulsory Purchase Orders
• proposed Tree Preservation Orders
• many informal notices under planning and highways laws not found on any register
• road proposals or schemes (including road widening)
• proposed enforcement action or breach of conditions notices.

The only way to receive this information is to submit the Official LLC1 and CON 29 forms.

Personal searchers are not given, or entitled to receive, all the information necessary to answer all the questions on the CON 29, and any information they do obtain is not covered by Section 10(3) of the Local Land Charges Act 1975 which relates to compensation for loss. The Council's insurers will only cover information given in Official Searches carried out by Council staff.

Unique benefits of Stevenage Borough Council official searches

• Competitive price - £112.35 residential; one of the lowest in Hertfordshire.
• Free copy information - of any documents revealed in a residential Official Search (such as planning permissions or agreements)
• Best information - All replies completed by council experts
• Accurate - Colour Public Highway Plans direct from Hertfordshire Highways
• No charge - for follow-up enquiries on Official Searches.

Current Fees and Fees from 1 April 2024

LLC1 Applications

Type of Property	Current Fees
Residential Property - (Con29 - £77.25 plus VAT (£15.45) = £92.70 Plus LLC1 (£19.65) no VAT - £112.35)	£112.35 (including VAT)
Commercial Property and areas of land - (Con29 - £98.50 plus VAT (£19.70) = £118.20 Plus LLC (£25.55) no VAT - £143.75)	£143.75 (including VAT)
Additional Parcels of land (example, separate garage or unit)	£15.50 (£12.92 plus VAT (£2.58))
LLC1 (Residential)	£19.65 (no Vat)
LLC1 (Commercial)	£25.55 (no VAT)

Requesting an official search

The quickest and easiest way to request an official search is online. Once your request is received we will review it and contact you about payment.

Alternatively you can

• buy a search via the National land Information Service
• contact your Solicitor who will have the LLC1 and CON29 forms or you can buy them from law stationers. Send them to us with your search plan via post.
• Form free - Simply send a letter with your reference, the full postal address of the property to be Searched, your search plan and we will contact you for payment - let us do the paperwork for you.

Our commitment to you

If you have a specific deadline, please contact us as we will always try to meet your needs.

Other types of searches undertaken in the house buying process

Drainage water searches

Thames Water Property Searches look after the network of public sewers in the borough of Stevenage, they can be contacted on 0118 923 6656.

Land Registry Searches

Land Registry deal with ownership of property. If you require further information, please visit the HM Land Registry website or call them on 0300 006 0411.