Local Land Charges

Local Land Charges

Local Land Charges were the creation of the Land Charges Act 1975 and were set up to make new purchasers aware of any enforceable obligations that were binding on successive owners. The principle is still the same today, although changes have taken place with regard to Statutes, Rules and Acts which govern the Register.

A Local Land Charge Search forms an important part of the Conveyancing Process your Solicitor carries out when you purchase a property. Your Solicitor will guide you through the process, one element of which is the Local Land Charge Search.

Under the Infrastructure Act 2015 South Downs National Park Authority became an originating authority for Local Land Charges. We have been working with HM Land Registry and the twelve local land charge authorities in our area who are in the process or have completed migrating Local Land Charge data to HM Land Registry’s national register. For more information on this phased programme, visit GOV.UK.

Completed Migration programmes:

For Chichester District Council, Mid Sussex District Council, Lewes District Council, Wealden District Council and Winchester City Council, Local Land Charge data is now provided by South Downs National Park Authority  and maintained on HM Land Registry Portal. These authorities however remain responsible for CON29/CON29O searches.

The responsibility for the provision of LLC and CON 29/CON29O searches across the National Park can be summarised as follows:

Common Land Charges Questions

• Where can I find out more information on planning applications revealed in my search?

  All planning application determined by South Downs National Park Authority as Local planning Authority are published on our Public Register of Planning Applications

• An enforcement notice has been revealed on my search – where can I find out what it relates to?

  All Enforcement notices South Downs National Park Authority as Local planning Authority are published on our Planning Enforcement Register.

• An enforcement notice has been revealed on my search – we’re not doing anything wrong, can it be removed?

  Enforcement notices stay on the land even after it has been complied with. To remove an enforcement notice from the local land charges register, you must either formally apply to the authority to request its withdrawal (if the notice has been complied with) or apply for a Certificate of Lawfulness of Existing Use or Development.

• Where can I find out more about Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) revealed on my search?

  If there is a pending commencement or outstanding balance in relation to a planning approval, a liability Notice or Demand notice may be revealed on your search. You can find out more about CIL at this link: Community Infrastructure Levy & Section 106.

• Are CIL land charges ever removed from the register?

  Yes, if the work never commences and permission expires OR all demand notice payments are fulfilled, the charges are removed from the Land Charges Register.

• Are CIL land charges ever removed from the register?

  Yes, if the work never commences and permission expires OR all demand notice payments are fulfilled, the charges are removed from the Land Charges Register.

• My search has revealed an agreement, what does this mean?

  An agreement is a legal document which should be obtained by your solicitor as part of the conveyancing process. You can find out more about Legal agreements at this link Community Infrastructure Levy & Section 106, however, we would advise you to seek legal clarification as to its content.

• A tree preservation order was revealed on my search, can I cut back the trees on my property?

  Works to trees covered by a Tree Preservation order require formal permission from the authority.

• My search says my property is a listed building, what does this mean?

  A listed building means that the property is of special architectural or historic interest.

• My search has revealed an agreement, what does this mean?

  An agreement is a legal document which should be obtained by your solicitor as part of the conveyancing process. We would advise you to seek legal clarification as to its content.

• My search has revealed that the property is in a Conservation Area, what does this mean?

  This means that there are more restrictions relating to the Conservation Area that you should abide by.

• My search has revealed that the property is in an area covered by an Article 4 Direction , what does this mean?

  This means that there are more restrictions relating to the Article 4 Direction that you should abide by.

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