Local authority
Local authority searches, anywhere in England and Wales
One account, every council. We order official and regulated local authority searches nationwide, chase them daily, and tell you where they are before you have to ask.
What it is
What this search covers
Local authority turnaround is the single biggest variable in a conveyancing transaction. Some councils return in days; others take many weeks. The difference between a well-run search provider and a poor one is not the price — it is whether anybody is actually chasing.
We track every outstanding search on our system, chase the authority directly, and update the file rather than waiting for you to ring. If a council is running badly behind, we tell you before you exchange expectations with your client.
Where an official search is impractical or the timescale is unworkable, we can supply a regulated search compiled to the Search Code standard, with the same insurance backing.
Included in the report
- LLC1 official certificate of search
- CON29 standard enquiries of the local authority
- CON29O optional enquiries — road proposals, public paths, pipelines, common land and more
- Additional or bespoke enquiries where a property needs them
- Highways plans and road adoption extent
- Planning history documents where available
At a glance
| Turnaround | Varies by property, authority and provider. We give you a realistic timescale when you order — and we work to beat it. |
|---|---|
| Format | LLC1 certificate plus CON29 responses as a single PDF, with CON29O added where ordered |
| Who orders it | Conveyancers and licensed conveyancers acting anywhere in England and Wales |
| Category | Local authority |
Why it matters
What goes wrong without it
The optional enquiries are not optional for some properties
CON29O covers public footpaths, common land, town and village greens, pipelines and road proposals beyond the standard distance. For rural property, land with an access strip, or anything adjoining open land, leaving them off is a false economy.
Councils answer the question asked, not the question meant
A 'not applicable' or a blank response is not a clear answer. We read the returns before they reach you and raise the ambiguity with the authority rather than passing it on.
Questions
Local Authority Searches — your questions
Which local authorities do you cover?
All of them, across England and Wales. We hold accounts with the councils we order from most frequently and order directly elsewhere.
Can you supply the search results into our case management system?
Yes. Results can be delivered into our client portal, by email, or into your case management system where it supports incoming search data. Talk to us about how your system is set up.
What happens if the council is very slow?
We tell you as soon as we know, chase daily, and where the delay is genuinely unworkable we will set out the alternatives — a regulated search, or search delay indemnity insurance — so you can advise your client properly rather than simply waiting.
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Learn moreNeed this search on a property today?
Send us the address. We will tell you what it needs, what it costs and how long it will take.
Or call 0151 652 4184 — telephone support seven days a week