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Land charges

A local land charge is a restriction on a particular parcel of land, either to secure payment of a sum of money, or limiting the use to which the land may be put and is binding on successive owners of that parcel of land. Our local land charges register is currently maintained in a part electronic, part paper based system.

You can order and pay for an online search using the local authority search form.

As well as maintaining the register the local land charges section carries out all official searches covered by the Local Land Charges Act 1975, guaranteeing comprehensive replies to the official LLC1 and Con29 enquiries. These replies will include information such as the planning history of a site, enforcement action and highways information.

Nationally the standard response time for land charges is 10 days. We aim to return all searches within 2 days.

If you wish to carry out a personal search the Local Land Charges register can be made freely available for inspection at the Council Offices. However, before doing this it is important to remember The Law Society, which regulates solicitors, encourages the use of official searches and considers alternative personal searches of the statutory register, disclosing only limited information, should only be undertaken with the approval of the client when time does not permit official searches. You should confirm with your solicitor that an official search has been carried out and inspect the certificate of official search.

We accept searches electronically via the NLIS and TM portals, on our online ordering system or if payment has been made over the phone, by e-mail.

If requested, all searches can be returned electronically whether received in this way or by post/DX.

Planning history

Our planning history dates back to 1948. This is important for getting information about any properties in the Green Belt, where the allowance for extensions may have already been used up. Planning permission will be required for any further extensions.

Land registry

We do not hold details about who owns a piece of land or property. If the land is registered you can find out who owns it by contacting HM Land Registry. (This link will open in a new window)

Other contacts

• Drainage enquiries - Thames Water (This link will open in a new window) or Southern Water (This link will open in a new window)
• Contaminated land
• Registered common land and town or village green - contact Surrey County Council (This link will open in a new window)

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