Local Land Charges
The search is done to uncover any restrictions or legal obligations on the building(s) or plot of land.
A search is conducted against the "Register of Local Land Charges". This is held and maintained by East Hertfordshire District Council. Searches can be requested by you, or more usually, through your Solicitor.
The Register contains details of all local land charges registered against properties in East Hertfordshire. Charges may relate to matters such as Tree Preservation Orders, Planning Decisions, Grants, Article 4 Directions, Conservation Areas and Listed Building.
A Local Land Charge Search usually comprises two elements, namely:- LLC1Form and CON29 Enquiries of Local Authorities (2016). There is also a form CON290 which consists of optional enquiries. The CON29 lists numerous questions concerning the area being searched, and also if there are any major road proposals with 200 metres of the land/property or traffic schemes abutting the boundaries. The CON29O form contains additional questions in a standard format that may also be asked.
The Form LLC1 and Form CON29 Enquiries of Local Authorities should be completed and submitted with the following:-
- the correct fee; (see below)
- a correct and clear address of the land/ property to be searched;
- two plans with the land clearly edged in red (only modern digitalised plans) will be accepted.
If plans are not supplied, the search will be returned
Forms
Your solicitor will already have the official forms required, which are the LLC1 and CON29, plus the CON29O for any optional questions.
Fees from 1 April 2024 (inclusive of VAT)
| Product | Net fee | VAT | Total fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard search (LLC1 +CON29) | £123.00 | £18.60 | £141.60 |
| Extra parcel with standard searcg | £21.00 | £2.10 | £23.10 |
| Standard search including CON29O questions | £287.20 | £51.44 | £338.64 |
| LLC1 | £30.00 | N/A | £30.00 |
| CON29 | £93.00 | £18.60 | £111.60 |
| CON29O Questions 4-21 | £7.00 | £1.40 | £8.40 |
| CON29O Question 22 | £38.20 | £7.64 | £45.84 |
| Extra parcel fee (LLC1) | £10.50 | N/A | £10.50 |
| Extra parcel fee (CON29) | £10.50 | £2.10 | £12.60 |
Methods of submitting forms
We accept searches electronically via the following methods;
- National Land and Information Service (NLIS)
- TM Search Choice
- By email to landcharges@eastherts.gov.uk
Performance Indicators - October 2024
| 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of searches received | 223 | 357 |
| Number of searches returned within 5 working days | 99% | 32% |
| Number of searches returned within 5 - 10 working days | 1% | 68% |
| Number of searches returned in more than 10 working days | 0% | 0% |
Please note that we are working on the migration of our Land Charges Register to HMLR, and this has adversely affected our turnaround time for searches, which is currently at 4-6 working days.
Statutory Duty
Searches on properties for a prospective buyer are a statutory duty. Official searches undertaken by East Herts Council are normally returned within 5-10 working days, and are completed by officers with many years experience.
Personal Searches
East Herts Council has therefore decided to limit the amount of public access to our buildings at present, and so personal search agents are still unable to attend the office to inspect the Land Charges Register in person. Please continue to email us to make an appointment, attaching a plan of the property, and we will email your personal search results out to you until further notice.
This does not include the Form of Enquiry CON29 - inspection of this data must be arranged separately with the appropriate departments.
We will of course keep you updated with any further developments, but for now would like to thank you for your continued patience at this time.
