Land Charges

This unit maintains the Stafford Borough Register of Local Land Charges. Details of all charges against a parcel or parcels of land or property within the Stafford Borough area are registered with this unit. 

Setting Fees

The Land Charge service fees, calculated in accordance with guidance issued in 2007 by the Department of Constitutional Affairs are fair, reasonable and comparable within the market place, giving our customers an excellent, value for money service.

Fees and Charges 1 April 2008 - 31 March 2009

Local Land Charges - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Useful Information Regarding Local Land Charges

• What's it all about?
• Official Local Land Charge Searches
• Drainage and Common Land Enquiries
• What about CON 29 Questions?
• How to request a search
• Our Commitment to you
• Personal Search Information
• Local Land Charge History and background 
• NLIS (National Land Information Service) searches

What's it all about?

When you buy a house, your solicitor will make a search of the Council's records to ensure there are no hidden surprises, such as motorways at the bottom of your garden or outstanding Notices requiring you to take action to remedy an earlier wrong doing.

Official Local Land Charge Searches

The Local Land Charge Section carries out all official searches covered by the Local Land charges Act 1975, guaranteeing comprehensive replies to the official LLC1 and CON29 enquiries.

The Law Society, which regulates solicitors, encourages the use of official searches and considers that alternative personal searches of the statutory register, disclosing only limited information, should only be undertaken with the approval of the client when time does not permit official searches. You are advised to confirm with your solicitor that an official search has been undertaken and to inspect the Certificate of Official Search.

The search will be in two parts:-

LLC1 - this first part, the Official Certificate of Search Form, deals with all the registerable charges, for example financial charges (registered against the property by the local authority), improvement grants, tree preservation orders, conditional planning consents and agreements.

CON29 - the second part called Enquiries of Local Authorities Form deals with issues such as road schemes, the planning history of the property and various notices which affect the property.

Please note that searches must include the following when submitted to be accepted for processing:-

• If a search is submitted by a solicitor, cheques drawn on the solicitor's client account are requested, made out with the correct amount to Stafford Borough Council  Clients own cheques are not accepted as a method of payment. Please contact us regarding the fee using the contact details above, or click here to take you to the home page where fees are listed.
• The correct address quoted together with an up to date scale plan in duplicate showing the extent and location of the land subject of search, clearly edged in red.

DRAINAGE AND COMMON LAND ENQUIRIES 

Drainage Enquiries 

All enquiries regarding drainage and sewerage should be directed to:

Severn Trent Water Limited, Severn Trent Searches, PO Box 6187, Nottingham, NG5 1LE

Direct Extension : 26205 Sherwood Rise

Tel: 0115 962 7269

Common Land Enquiries 

Common Land enquiries as from 1 October 2007 are covered by question 22 of CON29O as an optional question - cost £23.00

Answers will be provided through the normal Local Land Charge process by information given by: 

Staffordshire County Council Land Charges, Development Services Department, Riverway, Stafford. ST16 3TJ

• Tel:         01785 276594/5
• Fax:        01785 276699
• E-mail:    land.charges@staffs.gov.uk  

If you are asking for a search to be undertaken or you are waiting to undertake a personal search, please contact your water company on 01159 627269

What about CON 29 questions?

The CON 29 enquiries questionnaire, which forms part of the official search, contains many 'Warning' questions, the answers to which you will not find on any of the statutory registers.

Examples of the information only to be found by submitting a CON 29 are given below:-

• Compulsory Purchase Orders
• Proposed Tree Preservation Orders
• Many informal notices under planning and highways laws not found on any register
• Road proposals or schemes (including road widening)
• Proposed enforcement action or breach of conditions notices

If you rely on a personal search from a solicitor or a personal search company, may we remind you that they are not given, or entitled to receive, answers to the questions on the CON 29, and any information they do obtain is not covered by Section 10(3) of the Local Land Charges Act 1975 which relates to compensation for loss. The only way to receive this information is to submit the official LLC1 and CON 29 forms.

How to request a search

There are full instructions on the Local Land Charge Search forms. Your solicitor will have these forms or you can buy them from law stationers.

Both the LLC1 and CON29 forms should be submitted at the same time if answers to both are required.

Our Commitment to You

We aim to return all official searches within 5 working days and in any case within 10 working days.

For Further information please contact: