Local land charges searches and enquiries

Local land charges searches and enquiries

What is a local land charge?

We hold a register of important information about many properties and land that is of interest to potential buyers. For example, if there are any outstanding financial charges against a property; if it is in a conservation area; if there are trees within the boundary which need to be preserved or if road and building works are proposed nearby. 

More specifically, a local land charge is:

• a restriction or prohibition on land with or without buildings or a financial charge;
• binding on successive owners or occupiers; 
• normally a creation of statute.

» Highways register maintainable at public expense (pdf 40.8KB)

Why you should do an official search?

An official search of local authority records can help to protect potential purchasers. It lets them know if there are any restrictions, agreements or proposals which may affect the property or land. 

Many homebuyers will assume that on appointing a solicitor they will automatically obtain accurate information needed relating to their property and the surrounding area. This is not necessarily true, as external search companies can also carry out a Local Land Charge Search. They may charge a lower fee but the council does not provide the information they obtain with an accuracy guarantee. Only by asking the council to do an official search for you, can you be sure that you will get such a guarantee.

If an external search company undertakes your search and you need further explanations from the information provided, you will have to go back to the search company, as the council’s land charges staff will not be able to help you.

What constitutes an official search?

• LLC1 - This is the official certificate of search form, and is a legal document. It is a search of the local land charges register which lists all the registered charges against a property. For example, financial charges which could be from housing grants; planning agreements; tree preservation orders; conservation orders. You can get copies of the LLC1 form from any solicitor.
• CON29 - This is known as the enquiries of local authorities form. It deals with planning, highways and environmental health issues that may affect a property or piece if land.

How to submit an official search

Hammersmith & Fulham Council has joined a government backed electronic search service called the National Land Information Service ( NLIS ). NLIS is a one-stop shop to all land and property information and it enables us to receive search requests and return responses electronically. This makes a big difference to the speed with which we can turn around our searches. With the NLIS, we aim to turnaround searches in 2 working days. Visit their website: www.nlis.org.uk

Personal searches

The contents of a Personal Search are unchecked and unofficial.  The information provided is unsorted and provided in its raw state and is the responsibility of the customer to decide what is relevant and what is not.  If however you prefer to undertake a personal search of the Local Land Charges Register an appointment system is available at 24 hours notice.

A personal search is only a search of the Local Land Charges Register and does not provide answers to questions asked on the CON29R enquiry form. Once the register has been inspected, the personal search has been concluded.

Information related to questions asked on the CON29 enquiry form can be inspected, and you may also examine other registers open to the public inspection such as the Planning Register.  Most of this information is available to inspect online.  Please see the PDF below for links to information and contacts related to questions asked on the CON29 enquiry form:

Con29 enquiry form (pdf 47.9kb)

If you rely on a personal search from a solicitor or personal search company, may we remind you that they are not given, or entitled to receive, answers to the questions on the CON 29 and any information they do obtain is not covered by Section 10(3) of the Local Land Charges Act 1975 which relates to compensation loss. The only way to receive this information is to submit the official LLC 1 and CON 29R forms.

What are the fees?

Please see Local land charges - fees

Contacts

Drainage enquiries

Since 1st April 1997 this Council has no longer acted as an agent for Thames Water Utilities. It is therefore necessary to refer enquiry 3.3 of Form CON29(R) directly to Thames Water Utilities for reply.

Thames Water 
P.O.Box 3189
Slough
SL1 4WW
DX 151280 Slough 13

Planning enquiries

The Environment Services Department also keeps the Statutory Planning Register of Applicants and Decisions (kept pursuant to s69 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990); and the Borough Plan. All Building Regulations and Planning enquiries are dealt with in the Environment Services Department who are contactable on 020 8753 1081 between 9.00am and 5.00pm Monday to Friday.

Environment services department
Planning Division
London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham
Town Hall Extension
King Street
Hammersmith
London, W6 9JU 
Tel: 020 8753 1081

HM Registry Service
The Local Land Charges Service receives a large number of enquiries regarding the ownership of pieces of land in the Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham. The Council does not hold a register of private land ownership; this is the responsibility of HM Land Registry. The HM Land Registry Office which deals with land ownership for the Hammersmith & Fulham area is located in Birkenhead and the address is: 

Birkenhead (Rosebrae) District Land Registry
Rosebrae Court
Woodside Ferry Approach
Birkenhead
Merseyside
CH41 6DU
DX No:24270 Birkenhead (4) 
Tel:0151 472 6666
Fax:0151 472 6789 
Normal business hours 09:00 to 17:00 Mon - Fri
Customer information centre (extended hours for personal callers only) 08:30 to 18:00 Mon - Fri
More information can be found on the HM Land Registry website: www.landreg.gov.uk or they can also be contacted at their email address hmlr@dial.pipex.com

Turnaround time

We aim to complete searches and enquiries submitted to London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham within 6 working days and in any case within 10 working days. Turnaround time results

Opening hours:	Office hours 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday
	Land Charges officer
Office:	020 8753 2765
Address:	Local Land Charges PO Box 67719 London W6 6FA
Directions:	Ravenscourt Park (District Line) Turn left out of station and left into King Street
Accessibility:	There is a lift to the ground floor
Link to map: