Local land charges search

Please note that from April 1 2011 our search fees have changed.

What’s it all about?

When you buy a property, your solicitor will make a search of the council’s records to ensure there are no hidden surprises such as a new planned motorway at the foot of your garden or an outstanding notice requiring you to take action to remedy an earlier wrong doing.

Official local land charge searches

The local land charges section carries out all official searches covered by the Local Land Charges Act 1975, and the Local Land Charges Rules 1977 (Amended) Rules 1995, guaranteeing comprehensive replies to official LLC 1 and CON 29R enquires.

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

You are advised to confirm with your solicitor that an official search has been undertaken and to inspect the Certificate of Official Search.

The search will be in two parts:-

LLC 1 – the first part, the Official Certificate of Search form, deals with all the charges held on the Land Charges Register. These would include for example, financial charges (registered against the property by the council), improvement grants, tree preservation orders, conditional planning consents and agreements.

CON 29R – the second part, Enquiries of the Local Authorities form, deals with issues such as road schemes, the planning history of the property and various notices, which affect the property.

What about the CON 29R questions?

The CON 29R enquiries questionnaire, which forms part of the official search, contains many ‘warning’ questions, the answers to which you will not find on any statutory registers.

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

contaminated land
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

If you rely on a personal search from a solicitor or personal search company, may we remind you that they are not given, or entitled to receive, answers to 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 loss. The only way to receive this information is to submit the official LLC 1 and CON 29R forms.

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How to request a search

There are full instructions on the standard local land charge search forms. Your solicitor will have these forms or you can buy them from law stationers.

Both the LLC 1 and CON 29R forms should be submitted at the same time if answers to both are required.

Please note that searches must include the following when submitted:

The correct address must be quoted together with four copies of an up to date scaled site plan showing the extent and location of the land subject of search clearly edged in red. Site plans can be obtained for a fee from the Council by calling 0207 364 5009:
1:1250 - £30.00
1:2500 - £60.00
If a search is submitted by a solicitor, cheques drawn on the solicitor’s client account are preferred, made out with the correct amount to the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Please see below or contact us regarding the fee using the contact details shown.

We do not reply to solicitors’ own enquires through the land charges search section.

We have found that it is quicker and more efficient for the enquiry to be directed to the appropriate department for direct reply to the client.

Online searches: National Land Information Services (NLIS)

Solicitors can send full searches to the council through the NLIS Hub. NLIS provide this service for a fee. A solicitor submits a full search to NLIS who redirect the documentation to the correct borough.

Currently Tower Hamlets are Level 2 compliant which means that we accept full searches electronically from NLIS, but we send the completed search back through the post.

Fees

Full Official Search: £155.00
Official Register Only: £25.00
Official CON 29 Search: £130.00
Expedited Official Search: £190.00 (expedited service currently not available)
Expedited NLIS (online) Official Search: £190.00 (expedited service currently not available)
Each additional parcel on Official CON 29: £30.00
Each additional parcel on LLC1: £5.00
CON29 plus LLC1 additional parcel of land: £35.00
Part 2 Enquiries: £30.00
Personal Full Search: £110.00
Personal CON29 R Questions: £2.60 each
Cancellation Fee: £50.00

For a more comprehensive guide on fees please use the contact details below.

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Water searches

Drainage enquiries should now be made with Thames Water. Please write to:

Thames Water
Drainage & Water Searches, Asset Data Services
Blake House
Manor Farm Road
Reading, Berkshire
RG2 0JN

Tel: 0118 923 6655

How to contact us

Local Land Charges
Mulberry Place (AH)
PO Box 55739
5 Clove Crescent
London
E14 1BY

Telephone: 020 7364 5009
Facsimile: 020 7364 5415

Email: planningandbuilding@towerhamlets.gov.uk

DX number

DX 42679
Isle of Dogs

The offices are open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday - except public holidays.

Public Transport: Buses 277, D6,15,115, Tube/DLR: East India Dock or Blackwall Stations

Map and directions to planning offices (PDF, 111k)