Land Searches
Before completing a property transaction a Local Land Charges
Search should be submitted to the local authority in whose area the
land is situated. This page briefly explains the Local Land
Charges Search process. It is always advisable to seek
independent legal advice about buying a property, including the
conduct of any land searches.
The local land charges search is normally submitted by either the
purchaser's or the vendors’ solicitor. A lessee or mortgagee
(lender) may also submit a search. Any member of the public
can obtain one. In each case there is a fee for this.
Standard land searches normally take about 3 working days.
NOTE: We do not hold any details about ownership of land or
property or in respect of private covenants or restrictions on
land. We cannot advise or adjudicate on property boundaries. To
investigate these matters you may wish to contact HM Land Registry at
Peterborough (Tel: 01733 288288) and it is always prudent to seek
independent legal advice on these matters.
The Bedford Borough Local Land Charges
Search
The purpose of a local land charges search is to check if there are
any matters affecting the property which are registered as a local
land charge, or whether information is held by the Council about
which the buyer raises specific questions.
The standard search will be in two parts:-
LLC1 the first part, the Official Certificate
of Search Form, deals with all the registerable charges that bind
the land searched, for example financial charges (registered
against the property by the local authority), improvement grants,
tree preservation orders, conditional planning consents since 1st
August 1977 and planning obligations.
CON29R the second part, called Enquiries of
Local Authorities Form, is a series of standard enquiries that deal
with issues such as road schemes, the planning history of the
property and various notices which affect the property. The
CON29R form is completed by staff at the Borough Council with
highways information provided by the Highways Department. A
section of CON29O allows for optional enquiries which are raised by
the searcher him/herself.
NB: All replies given to local land charges
searches will only apply to the land which is the subject of the
search (LLC1) and which relate to the specific questions raised
(CON29R/O). See How to request a search and fees.
NLIS Searches
The National Land Information Service provides a ready-made
Internet - based infrastructure that allows Bedford Borough
searches to be submitted and responded to on-line.
Conveyancers and other interested parties, such as mortgage lenders
and insurers, can submit search requests to this authority by
filling in electronic Con 29R and LLC1 forms.
The service requires the searcher to have an electronic
communication system in place.
For more details see NLIS.
Other types of searches
Other authorities can conduct searches on a property or parcel of
land. Their contact details are provided below to help you, because
these searches are not part of the official Local Land Charges
Search.
Drainage Anglian Water (through Geodesys Ltd)
Tel: 01480 323889
Web: http://www.geodesys.com/
How to request a search
There are full instructions on the Local Land Charge Search forms.
Your solicitor will have these forms or you can buy them from law
stationers.
Two copies of the LLC1 and CON29R forms are required to be
submitted at the same time if answers to both are required.
Please note that searches must include the following when submitted
to be accepted for processing:-
The correct fee (please see Land charges
fees).
if a search is submitted by a solicitor,
cheques drawn on the solicitor's client account are requested, made
out with the correct amount to Bedford Borough Council. Clients own
cheques are not accepted as a method of payment.
The correct address quoted together with an up
to date scale plan in duplicate showing the extent and location of
the land subject of search, clearly edged in red.
Personal searches
Appointments
Personal Search appointments are available from Monday to Friday
10am – 12pm and 2pm – 3.30pm.
These should be booked by telephone through Local Land Charges Team
24 hours in advance. Tel: 01234 221619.
NB: This is not a full search and may be considered inadequate by a
lender or purchaser. The Council cannot guarantee the information
contained in a personal search, which is compiled by private
individuals solicitors or agents, and not by Council staff.
Access to information
Please Note: some prices may be reviewed in
the near future.
To comply with Government Guidance issued in January 2008 this
Council is committed to provide access to information held at the
Council and all unrefined data required to complete Con29R
Enquiries.
Some information is publicly available free of
charge via the website http://www.bedford.gov.uk/
However, when there is a need to research the
council records to provide the data, there will be a charge to
cover administration costs.
Highways Information - from April
2009 contact Highway Department at Bedford Borough Council
- Tel. 01234 228764
2. Roads – extent of highways available at a
charge of £17.69 plus VAT
For a complex Highway information the charge
is £33.20 plus VAT including the following Con29R questions;
3.1 Land required for Public purposes
3.2 Land to be acquired for road works
3.4 Nearby road schemes
3.5 Nearby railway schemes
3.6 Traffic schemes
3.7 Outstanding Notices
Please request this information in
writing to Bedford Borough Council, Town Hall St Pauls Square
Bedford MK40 1SJ.
Environmental
Health
Environmental Health Information is available from Environmental
Health Department - Tel 01234 227260
The Charge is £10.00 for standard Con29R
information including;
3.7 Outstanding Notices
3.11 Compulsory Purchase
3.12 Contaminated Land
3.13 Radon Gas
If the time spent is more involved there will
be a charge of £78.73ph or part there of.
In that case the cost will be advised in
advance. Please request the information in writing by letter or
email.
Contact Local Land Charges Section on Tel:
01234 221619 or 227414
Building Control
Information
Building Control Information is available from Building Control
Department – Tel. 01234 221761
1.1 Building Regulations
3.7 Outstanding Notices
3.8 Contravention of Building
Regulations
The charge is £5.15 plus VAT per property
search and the full Con29 answer is given.
For copies of the certificates/approvals the
charge is £9.00 plus VAT per copy.
Planning Decisions and
applications
1.1 Planning Decisions and Applications
1.2 Planning Designations and Proposals
3.9 Notices, Orders, Directions and
Proceedings under Planning Acts – information available from
Planning Department
3.10 Conservation Area – available from
Planning Department
Public access to planning history and
documentation is available remotely on the Council's website
www.bedford.gov.uk/planning
or at the Planning Reception in the Town Hall. If you are
unable to locate copies of planning documents or information on our
website send an e-mail to planning@bedford.gov.uk for
further direction and assistance. (Please Note: The Planning
Department do not conduct History Searches).
Cancelling a search
We regret that we cannot cancel searches once entered on the
computer as work will have already commenced.
Turnaround times and submission of searches
During the period 1 April 2008 to 28 February 2009 we processed
1656 local search enquiries, and our average response time was 2
working days.
We have processed 1563 personal searches
enquiries.
If you require the result of a standard search
urgently, please contact us and we will try and assist where
possible, without charging an expedited fee.
We advise to do a full search with us as we
have very quick turnaround and all the answers given on the search
are collated and checked by our professional staff.
Local Land Charges Institute (ALLCO)
Bedford Borough Council belongs to the Association of Local Land
Charges Officers, a member of the Local Land Charges Institute
aiming to promote a quality service in this field for all.
Land Charges fees
Please note that on 1 April 2009 the Local
Land Charges Search fees increased as follows:
The standard search fee - £147.00 for applications sent through the
post or DX.
Certificate of search - £10.00
Con 29 enquiry form - £137.00
Part II optional enquiries - £ 20.00 per
question
Additional enquiries - £ 20.00 per
question
Additional parcels - £ 20.00 per parcel of
land
The standard search fee is - £123.00 for
applications submitted electronically
NLIS Certificate of search - £ 7.00
NLIS Con 29 enquiry form - £ 116.00
Operating
Standards
It is the aim of Local Land Charges to provide the service of
quality we would wish to receive ourselves.
We aim to - meet our National Performance
Indicators to process a Standard search in 10 working days
meet our self-imposed target to process a
Standard search in 3 working days
endeavour to process ‘urgent’ Standard
searches as quickly as possible
provide a replacement Search, free of charge,
if replies are found to be incorrect acknowledge customer
complaints within 1 working day
monitor our search performance continuously
and give our customers the service they require for staff to be
courteous and helpful, at all times
If you contact us by letter we aim to:
acknowledge all correspondence within 1
working day
supply copies of requested documents by
return, on receipt of the required fee
If you contact us by telephone we aim to
ensure:
we answer your telephone call within 3
rings
that we resolve your telephone enquiries the
same day, or keep you informed of the progress if we need to
consult with another party
respond to recorded messages left on the Land
Charges ‘mailbox’, within 1 working day
Contact us
Local Land Charges Section,
Bedford Borough Council,
Town Hall,
St Paul’s Square,
Bedford
MK40 1SJ.
Telephone No: 01234 221619 or Fax No: 01234 221689.
DX 117105 – Bedford 4.
Alternatively you may wish to visit our website at www.bedford.gov.uk
We are open during the hours of 8.45 am to 5.15 p.m. Monday to
Thursday and 8.45 to 4.45 p.m. on Friday
About us
The Local Land Charges team consists of 5 people; a Chief Local
Land Charges Officer, a Senior Land Charges assistant and 3 Land
Charges assistants. We research both the Land Charges register and
the Planning records in order to complete your local search.
Replies on other matters are compiled by various other departments
within the authority.
How to complain
If you are in any way unhappy with the service you receive, please
let us know. You should first contact the Chief Local Land Charges
Officer, who will usually be able to solve your problem. This is
called Stage 1 of the complaints procedure. If you are not
satisfied with the answer you receive, this officer will give you
guidance in the next step you can take.