Land charges

North Tyneside Council's Land Charge service processes all conveyancing searches on behalf of solicitors and resident’s borough wide.

Fees or other enquiries can be made to:

Local Land Charges
Law and Governance
Quadrant East
The Silverlink North
Cobalt Business Park
North Tyneside
NE27 0BY

Telephone: (0191) 643 5305
Fax: (0191) 643 2451
Email: land.charges@northtyneside.gov.uk

The council utilises a partnership with National Land Information Service (NLIS), which allows transactions and the submission/ response of electronic search documents direct with subscribed solicitors nationwide.

For more details visit the National Land Information Service.

The Infrastructure Act 2015 provided for the transfer of statutory responsibility for local land charges in England and Wales from local authorities to Land Registry. Under these provisions, the Land Registry will provide a single, digital local land charges register for the 326 English local authorities.

It is currently intended that the Local Land Charges Rules 2017 will come into force later this year. However, the rules will only take effect in relation to local authorities in stages as there will be an incremental roll-out of the Local Land Charges Register Service.

Section 35 of the Act amends the Land Registration Act 2002 to broaden the powers of Land Registry so that it can provide information and register services relating to land and other property. When the proposals are implemented, local authorities will still be responsible for collecting and updating information in the land charges register, and also for making CON29 searches (extended searches that largely relate to planning policy). It is also intended that the new digital register will only accept applications made in electronic form.

A Local Authority Search is in two parts:

LLC1

The first part, the Official Certificate of Search, deals with entries registered in the Local Land Charges Register, e.g., Financial Charges, Improvement Grants. Tree Preservation Orders. Conditional Planning Consents and Agreements.

CON29

The second part is the Enquiries of Local Authorities and is known as the CON29.

This is a standard form of questions agreed between the Law Society and Local Government Associations and provides comprehensive information to prospective purchasers of property. The enquiries deal with issues such as Planning- control of development, Highways - road schemes, adoption of roads and Environment - notices e.g., noise abatement, contaminated land.

The 2016 edition of the Con29 has introduced additional enquiries which include SUDS, CILS, Public Rights of Way and Assets of Community Value.

Please note that search applications must include the following:

• completed forms LLC1 and CON29 in duplicate
• an up-to-date scale plan detailing the extent and location of the property clearly edged in red
• confirmation of the appropriate payment

Payment can be made by BACS or by credit or debit card by phone 0191 643 5305.

Cheques should be made payable to North Tyneside Council.

North Tyneside Council also accepts search requests and payments electronically from Solicitors who are registered to use the NLIS. Please check current price rates with the supplier.

There is a requirement of HM Revenue and Customs to charge VAT on the CON 29 element of a Local Authority Search.

** The Authority is unable to answer Optional Enquiry Q8 Pipelines. Further information can be found at Utility Search.

Please note that much of the information provided on a Con29 form is free to access by personal inspection at the above address.

Personal search requests must be submitted before 3:30pm the day before the appointment for viewing

North Tyneside Council will review its fees and charges on an annual basis as per the Local Authorities (England) (Charges for Property Searches) Regulations 2008. Any changes to fees will be publicised in advance of implementation.

North Tyneside Council's VAT Registration number is 178 1914 41.

The Council no longer acts as an agent for Northumbrian Water. It is therefore necessary to send form CON29DW to:

Property Solutions
Northumbrian Water Ltd
Head Office
Abbey Road
Pity Me
Durham
DH1 5FJ

Telephone: 0870 241 7408

Our current turnaround time for Local Authority Searches is approximately 10-15 working days.