Property searches on private properties

This page gives you information about the local land charges service we provide:

• What a local authority search is
• Types of searches
• Search fees
• Processing of searches

What a local authority search is

When buying a property or a piece of land, your solicitor will submit a local land charges search which will show whether there are any legal restrictions affecting the property/land.

Salford City Council's land charges team investigates what restrictions there are and will bring all the information together in the form of a local authority search. This information is collected from various departments throughout the council including building control, environmental health, highways and planning.

Types of searches

There are three types of searches:

1. Form LLC1

This consists of a search of the Land Charges Register. This search reveals if there are any outstanding charges such as financial ones where money is owed to the council when work has been carried out on the property/land, for example: removal of rubbish, making a dangerous building safe. Other charges include tree preservation orders, renovation grants, conservation areas, listed buildings, road agreements, conditional planning applications, enforcement notices.

2. Form Con29

This search is a questionnaire and the information needed to answer this form comes from various departments in the council. This form contains Part 1 standard questions which reveals if there are any road proposals/schemes, compulsory purchase orders, proposed enforcement actions, formal/informal notices, building regulations, planning applications.

This form also contains part two optional enquiries that are answered when indicated. These questions cover public paths, noise abatement orders, pollution notices.

Most of the searches carried out consist of both the LLC1 and Con29 forms. A lot of the information shown on the Con29 can only be obtained by submitting this form. The majority of this information is not available to a personal searcher.

3. Personal search

Any person may make a personal search. It must be stressed that this search is only of the local land charges register. Once the register has been inspected, the personal search has been conducted.

Any person wishing to carry out a personal search can ring the Land Charges section on 0161 793 3124. At least 24 hours' notice must be given. There are four appointment slots each day at:

• 10.00am
• 11.00am
• 2.00pm 
• 3.00pm

An individual or firm will be limited to one appointment each day with a maximum of five addresses per slot.

If required, the searcher can inspect the public records maintained by the authority. These include the planning register and publicly-adopted highways register.

Although the public registers are open for inspection, that does not mean that staff within those departments are under a legal obligation to supply supplementary or additional advice.

Search fees

Type of search	Amount
Form LLC1	£15
LLC1 additional parcel	£1
Form Con29R	£120
Con29R additional parcel	£16
Con290 Part 2 optional enquiries	£10 each
Part 3 additional enquiries (own questions)	£12.50 each
Copy of a completed search	£30
An independent Con290 Part 2 question	£10 per question plus £14.78 processing fee

Processing of searches

We have a fully computerised local land charges system and can deal efficiently with both postal and electronic searches.

We are required by the government’s code of practice to process searches within ten working days. Our average response time achieved is five working days.

Contacts

Who to contact

Name

Shirley Hill

Address

Land Charges
Civic Centre
Chorley Road
Swinton
Salford
M27 5DA
Map to this location

Telephone

0161 793 3124

Email

shirley.hill@salford.gov.uk

This page was last updated on 22 February 2011