Local land charges
A local land charge is generally a financial obligation or restriction on the use of land, imposed under statutory powers by a public authority. It affects the land regardless of who owns it. It is usually recorded separately from the property’s title register.
The question is: “What public obligations or restrictions apply to this land?” It is not simply a list of debts owed by the current owner.
What might appear?
A condition attached to a planning permission may constrain how the development is carried out or used.
A designation may mean additional controls apply to certain work.
Protected trees may require consent before specified work.
A notice can require action over a planning breach. Some local land charges secure money owed to a public authority.
Why does it matter on a sale?
Because a local land charge attaches to the land, changing owner does not ordinarily make it disappear. A buyer needs to understand the entry, the land it covers, and the practical effect. An entry in a search is a pointer to the underlying notice or decision, which may need to be read in full.
HM Land Registry says even an unregistered local land charge can still affect a purchaser. An absence from a search should therefore not be treated as a guarantee that there are no obligations of any kind.
Where do you search?
HM Land Registry is taking over local land charges registers area by area. Use its local land charges search service for areas it covers; for an area not yet transferred, check the relevant council. The accompanying CON29 enquiries are answered separately by local authorities and cover other matters such as planning history and road schemes.
LLC1 and CON29 are different
LLC1 is the local land charges register search. CON29 asks the council standard questions about the property and its surroundings. A local search commonly combines them, but one does not replace the other.
Source notes
This guide explains the position in England and Wales in plain language. Follow the official source for the full rules and current service arrangements.