The Local Land Charges Section is responsible for the following:-

• maintaining the Local Land Charges Register and
• providing fast access to the information required to complete your official Local Authority Search.

The Local Land Charges Register holds the following information:-

• any legal obligation, restrictions or prohibitions enforceable against the land or property,
• or a financial charge that is binding on successive owners and/or occupiers.

Information about property you wish to purchase can be obtained in one of two ways:-

• an official Certificate of Search, conducted by the Land Charges Team for £133.00 takes 3 working days on average, or
• a private search company views Council records to do a personal search.

The standard search comprises a form LLC1 Certificate of Search and the CON29R Enquiries of Local Authority.

LLC1 - this is an Official request to search the Local Land Charges Register.

CON29R - This form deals with the supplementary enquiries including:-

•  road and traffic schemes,
• planning history of the search site,
• local plan matters,
• outstanding notices,
• infringement of building regulations and
• any pending notices, orders or proceedings.

CON290 - This form covers the 19 optional (Part 2) enquiries, in addition to standard enquiries.  A fee of £15.00 for each question submitted is required.

Questions not covered by these forms can be submitted with the search request as an Additional Enquiry, a fee is payable.

These forms can be submitted together or separately.

Checklist for a Standard Search:-

• Two copies of the LLC1 and CON29R forms.
• A clear identifiable address (including plot number and developer for all new builds).
• Three copies of an Ordnance Survey plan showing the boundary of the search site outlined in red.
• The correct fee (all cheque(s) should be made payable to Central Bedfordshire Council).

Personal Search of the Local Land Charges Register can be made by visiting the Council Offices at Priory House, Chicksands.

Appointments are available from Monday to Friday 10am to 3.30pm.  These should be booked by telephone with the Local Land Charges Team: 0300 300 8052.

A full address and location plan must be provided at the time of booking.

Plans can be emailed to:- land.charges@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk

We realise there may be times when your Personal Search is urgent and where possible we will try to assist you. 

The Council is committed to providing access to its publicly available records and all unrefined data required to complete CON29R enquiries.  Government guidance changed in January 2008 and Central Bedfordshire adopted the changes.

Please refer to the Schedule of Information for Local Authority Enquiries (PDF 44KB).  This states where to access publicly available information and the fees for all other information in order to complete CON29R.

To book a search please do the following:-

• phone the local land charges team
• email the information request form indicating the information you require to land.charges@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk
• include a plan showing the precise boundaries to be searched against
• the applicable fee - payment by cheque / credit card to be made when information is collected from the council.

Please allow 3 working days.

LLC1 Certificate of Search - £20.00

CON29R (residential) - £113.00

CON29R(commercial) - £181.00

Full Residential Search (LLC1 and CON29R) - £133.00

Full Commercial Search (LLC1 and CON29R) - £201.00

Optional Enquiries (CON29O) - £15.00 each question

Solicitors Own Question - £25.00 each

Additional Parcel of Land - £13.50

Electronic Search (via NLIS) - fees as above plus the Channel Suppliers administration fee.

98% of all searches are turned around within six working days.  The average turnaround times are as follows:-

LLC1 - 1 working day

Standard Search - 3 working days

Standard Search with further enquiries - 5 working days

If you wish to enquire about the progress of a search, please contact the office.

Local Land Charges Department
Central Bedfordshire Council
Priory House
Monks Walk
Chicksands
Shefford
Beds SG17 5TQ

DX 153440 Shefford

Telephone: 0300 300 8052
                 0300 300 4099

The majority of Central Bedfordshire is covered by Anglian Water Authority.  Some parishes lying to the south of the area are covered by Thames Water.  If you telephone the office with the address a member of staff will be able to confirm for you.

The Local Authority does not hold information relating to:-

• property boundaries or
• title plans

and for information in respect of:-

•  ownership,
• private covenants or
• restrictions on land,

The office to contact is:-

HM Land Registry in Peterborough
Telephone: 01733 288288
www.landregistry.gov.uk

LLC1 Form

Anyone can request a search of the Local Land Charges Register.  The required form, which is available at any law stationers office, should be submitted to the Council.  The Council searches the Local Land Charges Register and compiles a response.  A copy of the LLC1 form is signed and dated and the results are returned via post/DX or electronically.

The current fee is £20.00

The Local Land Charges Register shows existing charges against a property.  The CON29R form shows matters which may be pending such as:-

•  road humps on the road outside your intended property,
• compulsory purchase order or
• a conservation area review. 

There are two CON29 forms:-

CON29R (PDF 16KB)

This is the standard form of enquiry.  Answers to the questions on this form are required for all residential and commercial transactions.

The current fee is £113.00 Residential and £181.00 commercial / land.

CON29O (PDF 12KB)

This is an option set of enquiries which can be ordered on an individual question or multiple question basis.  Each optional enquiry is £15.00.

To aid you in compiling your own search download and print two copies of the Central Bedfordshire Local Search Request Form (PDF 66KB).  These must be accompanied by three copies of a plan clearly showing the property to be searched against.  Plans are available for a small fee from Land Registry.

Complete the details on the form and together with a cheque for the correct amount made payable to Central Bedfordshire Council send to:

Local Land Charges Department
Central Bedfordshire Council
Priory House
Monks Walk
Chicksands
Shefford
Beds SG17 5TQ

The National Land Information Service (NLIS) provides an on-line one-stop shop for land and property related information in England and Wales.

Central Bedfordshire Council is electronically connected to NLIS and you can both send and receive searches electronically.

For more information visit the NLIS website or go to one of the following NLIS channels to order your searches:-

Searchflow - Telephone: 0870 787 7625

Thames Water

GlobalX Information Services

Please note these are commercial channels and as such Central Bedfordshire Council is not responsible for the content of these websites.

Our policy is not to cancel searches once entered into our computerised system due to the quick turnaround of Local Searches.