Local Authority Search
If you are planning to buy a house or plot of land, or lease a property, you will need to know whether the authority will charge you for any outstanding or ongoing services. The search will provide you with important information so that you are aware of any charges or responsibilities you will be taking on when you exchange contracts.
The word ‘charge’ means any outstanding financial claim, restriction, decision or information which may affect a particular property or parts of land. These include charges for such services as roads, restrictions such as tree preservation orders and conditions imposed on planning permissions, conservation areas, legal agreements and listed buildings.
The Local Land Search also provides other important information, for example if a property has been improved with the help of a Local Authority Grant, which would affect your reselling or renting out the property.
The Local Land Search is in two parts.
There are two standard forms for an official search. Either your solicitor will fill in these forms or you can get them from a legal stationer.
LLC1 Requisition for Search and Official Certificate of Search
This relates to all the registerable (such as: financial charges which could arise from improvement/renovation grants, tree preservation orders, conservation orders, smoke control) and pending applications which have been approved with conditions as from 1st of August 1977.
CON29R Required Enquiries of the Local Authority (2007 Edition)
Enquiries 1 – 3 deal with enquiries relating to planning, highways and environmental services which may affect the property or land. You will reply to this for one inclusive based on cost recovery only in accordance with legislation.
CON29O Optional Enquiries of the Local Authority (2007 Edition)
Enquiries 4 – 22 are charged for individually and we only reply if the purchaser or the legal practitioner places a tick in the appropriate box on the front of the form.
You or your solicitor need to send us two copies of each form to our office with the fee together with plans.
Local Search Request Form [word Document]
Please do not send an additional copy through the post if submitting the form by email or by fax.
Full details of our search fees are accessible from the link on this page. If you would like more information please contact us using the contact details below.
Where to send a Local Search Request
By post or hand: Local Land Charges, Legal Services, Town Hall, Darlington, DL1 5QT
DX Number: Local Land Charges, Darlington Borough Council, 69280 Darlington 6
By email: land.charges@darlington.gov.uk
By fax: 01325 388318
Telephone: 01325 388336