Local Land Charges

West Berkshire Council has worked with HM Land Registry (HMLR) to migrate our Local Land Charges Register service to their central digital service. 

From 25 April 2024, all Local Land Charges Register searches for West Berkshire Council area will be provided by HM Land Registry.

The Con29 will continue to be produced by West Berkshire Council.

You can find more information about the Local Land Charges Programme on GOV.UK.

Local authority searches

A local authority search is part of the property conveyancing process. It identifies any 'charges' the council holds against a property or parcel of land. These may include planning decisions, Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) and listed buildings.

Mortgage lenders require these searches to ensure all relevant information about a property is known and that there are no issues that may affect lending.

A local authority search consists of three legal documents:

• The LLC1 form, covering Local Land Charges, which will be answered by HM Land Registry.
• The Con29 form, containing specific enquiries such as whether a property is on an adopted road. We often need to collate answers from specialists in other council departments and these will continue to be answered by West Berkshire Council.
• The Con29(O) form, which covers optional enquiries and any additional questions submitted by a solicitor or conveyancer. This will also continue to be answered by West Berkshire Council.

The fees for the Con29 and Con29(O) forms is available on our local searches fee webpage. Please contact HM Land Registry for LLC1 fees.

Searches must be submitted to us on appropriate forms. Solicitors will have copies of these forms, or they are available from law stationers.

How long does a local authority search take?

We aim to complete searches within 15 working days. During periods of high demand, there may be delays, and we appreciate your patience. We recognise that all searches are important, and our staff work hard to process them as quickly as possible.

Inspecting the register: personal searches

The Local Land Charges Register can be inspected by any member of the public. This process is known as a Personal Search.

From 25 April 2024, all Personal Searches of the Local Land Charges Register must be carried out using HM Land Registry’s online portal.

A Personal Search is a search of the Local Land Charges Register only.

If you require additional information from other council departments, please contact them directly. You can find links to individual services here. Alternatively, you can call our switchboard on 01635 551111, and they will direct you to the appropriate team.

If you have any questions, please contact the Local Land Charges team on 01635 519465 or email landcharges@westberks.gov.uk.