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Regulated Local Authority Searches

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Regulated local authority searches

Often just called a council search: the certificate of search against the Local Land Charges Register, and the standard enquiries of the local authority — ordered for any address in England and Wales, and chased until they land.

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What it is

What this search covers

A local authority search is made up of two parts. The LLC1 is the certificate of search against the Local Land Charges Register, revealing financial charges, planning enforcement, conservation area designations, listed building status, tree preservation orders and similar registered obligations that bind the land whoever owns it.

The CON29 sits alongside it and answers the standard enquiries of the local authority: road adoption status, planning history and decisions, building regulation completion certificates, nearby road schemes, contaminated land designations, radon affectation and the rest of the standard question set.

We deal with local authorities across England and Wales every working day. That means we know which departments answer quickly, which queries stall, and what an ambiguous response actually means before it reaches your file.

Included in the report

Financial charges registered against the property
Planning permissions, refusals, conditions and enforcement notices
Building regulation approvals and completion certificates
Conservation area designation and Article 4 directions
Listed building status and tree preservation orders
Highway adoption and maintenance at public expense
Proposed road, rail and traffic schemes within the statutory distance
Contaminated land determinations under Part 2A
Radon affectation
Compulsory purchase, smoke control and other statutory notices
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	PDF report with the LLC1 register entries and full CON29 responses
Who orders it	Conveyancers, licensed conveyancers, estate agents preparing upfront information, and lenders
Category	Local authority

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Why it matters

What goes wrong without it

An unadopted road is a bill waiting to happen

If the road serving the property is not maintainable at public expense, the owners are liable for its upkeep and for any future adoption costs. Buyers routinely discover this after completion, and it is one of the most common causes of a negligence claim against a conveyancer.

Enforcement does not show on the title

Planning enforcement and building regulation breaches bind the land, not the seller. A clean title register tells you nothing about them. Only the local authority search does.

Conservation area status changes what a buyer can do

Conservation areas and Article 4 directions are far more widespread than buyers expect, and they remove permitted development rights people assume they have. A buyer who purchased intending to extend, and finds they cannot, has a complaint — and a reasonable one.

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

Regulated Local Authority Searches — your questions

What is the difference between a regulated search and a personal search?

A regulated search is compiled from the official local land charges register and the council's own records, with the LLC1 issued as an official certificate. A personal search is compiled by an agent inspecting publicly available records. Both are Search Code compliant when done properly, but some lenders on the UK Finance Mortgage Lenders' Handbook require, or prefer, the regulated product. If the lender's requirements are unclear, order the regulated search.

Do all lenders accept a personal search?

Most do, provided it meets the Law Society and CoPSO standards and carries adequate insurance. A minority specify an official search direct from the council. Check part 2 of the Lenders' Handbook for the specific lender before you order — or ask us and we will check it for you.

How long is a search valid for?

There is no statutory expiry, but most lenders will not accept a search more than six months old at completion. If a transaction is drifting, a search validation insurance policy is usually cheaper and faster than re-ordering.

Which local authorities do you cover?

Every local authority in England and Wales, on one account and one monthly invoice. We hold accounts with the councils we order from most frequently and order directly elsewhere.

Can you supply the 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. Tell us how your system is set up and we will confirm what is possible.

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 personal search, or search delay indemnity insurance — so you can advise your client properly rather than simply waiting.

Need 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.

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Or call 0151 652 4184 — telephone support seven days a week