Local land charges

Local land charge searches

Please bear with us, due to high demand

Due to the 2024 General Election being called at short notice the team are now working hard to catch up. Local Land charge searches are currently taking about 10 days to return. We apologise for this delay.

As we are not able to offer a personal inspection of the register, we are currently emailing an extract of the local land charges register and the planning register can be checked online.

Order your local authority search online

All search requests must be accompanied by a plan clearly showing the property to be searched against. Plans are available for a small fee from Land Registry.

Local land charges explained

When you buy a house or land, your solicitor will usually go through a number of checks to make sure there are no problems that would restrict use or could result in a charge being directed at you as the owner of the property.

As part of one of those checks, it is usual to have a local land charges search undertaken. This is usually organised by your solicitor on your behalf, but can also be carried out yourself as a "personal search" or by a personal search company.

A local authority land charges search consists of:

  • The LLC1 certificate, which reveals 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.
  • The CON29 form, which deals with supplemental enquiries such as new road and traffic schemes, planning history, local plan matters, building regulations, and any pending or outstanding notices.
  • The optional CON29O form, which covers a further 19 optional enquiries.

Benefits of asking us to carry out your search

We are:

  • The official source of the information included in your search and have the best understanding of what it will mean.
  • The only organisation authorised to sign the official form required for a search (form LLC1).
  • Fully insured, so you do not need to rely on third-party insurance.

Your search will:

  • Be accepted by all mortgage lenders.
  • Return a result usually between 5 and 10 working days by email.

Official search fees

Local land charges fees effective from 31 March 2017
Description LLC1 CON29 VAT (applies to CON29 only) Total
Residential Search £20 £113 £22.60 £155.60
Commercial Search £20 £181 £36.20 £237.20
Each additional parcel £7.50 £7.50 £1.50 £16.50
CON29O optional enquiries 4 to 22 - £12.50 £2.50 £15
Planning applications in the vicinity enquiry - £15 £3 £18
Please note: we will not answer additional enquiries other than planning applications in the vicinity enquiry. For all other enquiries, please contact the relevant council service. Additional fees may apply.

Please note: VAT will apply on CON29 from 31 March 2017

Moving home?

Find information about your property / area

Order your local authority search online

All search requests must be accompanied by a plan clearly showing the property to be searched against. Plans are available for a small fee from Land Registry.

Apply for a search electronically

We currently both send and receive searches electronically from a number of different providers.

Personal searches

A full address and location plan must be emailed to land.charges@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.

Access to information

We are committed to providing access to publicly available records and all unrefined data required to complete CON29 enquiries. Government guidance changed in January 2008 and we adopted the changes.

Please refer to the schedule of information (PDF 80.2KB) PDF icon.

Download a CON29 request form (PDF 286.1KB) PDF icon to request individual enquiries for a fee.

Who to contact

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

DX 153440 Shefford

Telephone: 0300 300 4042
Email: land.charges@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk

Which local water authority

The majority of Central Bedfordshire is covered by Anglian Water Authority. Some parishes to the south of the area are covered by Thames Water.

If you're not sure, call us on 0300 300 4042 with the address and we'll confirm for you.

Who owns the land?

We do not hold information relating to:

  • property boundaries
  • title plans

Please contact HM Land Registry for information about the following:

  • ownership
  • private covenants
  • restrictions on land

Telephone: 01733 288288

Cancellation of searches

Unfortunately, we are not able to cancel searches once entered into our system.