Local Land Charges

What is a Local Search?
Helpful tips when submitting a Local Search
How long does it take to return a Local Search 
Local Land Charges fees from 1st April 2011
Personal search fees 
Contacting the Land Charges section  

What is a Local Search?
A Local Search is a service for people selling, purchasing or re-mortgaging property and land within Sevenoaks District who need to find out information that may affect it.

There is a comprehensive and easy to understand guide to property searches at www.c-nlis.org.uk. 

The Council has a duty to maintain an up-to-date Local Land Charges Register and to provide an accurate response to search requests. This involves the section working closely with other sections of the Council.

Searches may be submitted on three standard forms. The first is called the LLC1 which is the official certificate and deals with all of the charges recorded in the Local Land Charges Register. It includes:

• Details of financial charges registered against the property or land
• Improvement and renovation grants
• Conservation Areas
• Planning applications that have been approved with conditions

A second form is the Con29R (short for conveyancing form 29 Required) which has been formulated by the Law Society to ask questions on a variety of matters relating to the property or land.

A third form is the Con29O (short for conveyancing form 29 Optional). This is available allowing the submission of optional enquiries individually.

Both forms are submitted as part of a conveyancing procedure, usually undertaken by a solicitor. The Council will only answer the standard questions unless you specify any other questions you would like answered.

You should tell your solicitor before they submit the search about any additional questions you would like answered.

The responses to a search will only relate to the property or land named on the forms. If you need information about any neighbouring sites, for example details of any planning applications or permissions on neighbouring property or land, then you will need to raise a specific additional enquiry.

You can ask if any additional roads or footways not mentioned in the address of the property are publicly maintained under the Highways Act. Ask your solicitor to identify the roads or footways by name or by colouring on a plan and enter the request in Box C of the Con29 form.

The new Question 22 on the new CON29 Optional form is designed for common land enquiries. Sevenoaks District Council will forward all enquiries regarding Common Land and Village Greens to the Kent County Council for answering.

Question 5 relating to Public Rights of Way will also be sent to the Kent County Council for answering.

Helpful tips when submitting a Local Search
We want to be able to begin processing your search as soon as we can but sometimes incomplete documentation can delay us. So here are some tips and in some cases essential requirements:

• Always send two completed LLC1, Con29R and/or Con29O forms.
• Always send two copies of a plan with the site to be searched outlined in red for all searches.
• Ensure you are including all optional and additional enquiries you require. However, if you find after the submission of your search that you require further enquiries, we can provide answers in letter form.
• If you wish to include other roads and footways etc. in Box C of the Con29R form, please identify them by name and enclose a plan. If the name is not known, identify them by colouring or hatching the included search plan.
• The fee received must be correct before a search can be returned. Remember to include the fee for any optional and additional enquiries. Cheques are to be made payable to Sevenoaks District Council. If on receipt of a search we find the fee to be incorrect, we will telephone to notify you.

How long does it take to return a Local Search?
For up to date information on current turnaround times, contact the Local Land Charges section. Sevenoaks District Council does provide an expedition service if required by the customer. An expedited search is returned within three working days.

Local Land Charges fees  from 1 April 2011
All cheques to be made payable to Sevenoaks District Council. Please ensure you are sending the correct fee for your search. (Signed and dated.)

The 'standard fee' for a certificate of search (form LLC1) and enquiries on the Con29R form is £105.

Please see the Fees letter 2011 ( PDF File 21KB file details) for a comprehensive list of the charges with effect from 1 April 2011.

Searches may be transmitted electronically. Solicitors wishing to take advantage of this service can do so via NLIS (National Land Information Service). A standard search costs £86, but there may be a connection fee via your chosen provider. For further information contact the Senior Land Charges Officer as below. Our cancellation fee is £30.

Personal search fees

Following the recent amendments proposed by DEFRA and the Ministry of Justice the District Council is implementing, as an interim measure, the following options and procedures until all matters relating to personal searches are clarified and resolved. 

Contacting the Local Land Charges section
If you would like any assistance or information, please to not hesitate to contact the Local Land Charges section:

Senior Land Charges Officer
Sevenoaks District Council
Council Offices
Argyle Road
Sevenoaks
Kent
TN13 1HG


DX 30006 Sevenoaks


call 01732 227000 fax 0870 1914847
e-mail land.charges@sevenoaks.gov.uk.

Directgov is a central Government website that has useful information on registering land and local land charges searches.