Land charges

Local Land Charges

Searches

Ribble Valley Borough Council maintains the register of Local Land Charges for the borough of Ribble Valley. The register is divided into 12 parts, containing many different types of charges.

To check whether there are any charges on land within the borough, you can ask the council to check for you by doing a Local Land Charges search.

If you are buying a new house or land, your solicitor will usually ask the council on your behalf so that you know the situation before you make the final decision to go ahead with your purchase (although some solicitors use personal search companies instead).

If you are re-mortgaging, your lender will want to check the position too.

What are local land charges?

Local Land Charges are binding incumbrances on successive owners of land. In plain English, this means a burden or restriction on the way the land is used. These restrictions are not specifically linked to the people who previously owned the land, or the people who occupied it, so when you buy a new house, for example, you might buy it complete with restrictions, which will affect you.

If you don't know that your land has charges on it, you might act in a way, which could result in prosecution, so it is important to investigate.

What types of Local Land Charge are there?

Examples of Local Land Charges include:

Tree Preservation Orders
Conservation Areas
Listed Buildings

How do I get a search done?

To ask us to carry out a search, you will need to send us the relevant forms, the correct fee and a plan outlining the extent of the land you want us to search.

Please ensure that the correct postal address and postcode are shown on the forms, and that your plan is not old or out of date. You will also need to notify us if the property is used for commercial purposes (there is no extra charge is it is).

Please contact Marie Mercer on 01200 414405 for more information.

What forms should I use?

The LLC1 form is a request for details of any entries on the Local Land Charges register.

The CON29 form asks many questions that reveal information about the property/land itself, such as previous planning applications or building regulations, environmental health and housing notices. This also asks whether the roads are maintained by Lancashire County Council or privately owned by the owners.

How long do searches take?

We make every effort to process and return completed searches by post or DX within 10 working days. In most cases it is possible to return searches much sooner.

Fees as from the 1 April 2009

Full Search £107.00
LLC1 only £12.00
CON29 only £95.00
Express searches (3 working days) £140.00
Additional Parcel Questions £8.90
Optional Enquiries £12.00 (except Q.22 Registered Common Land and Town or Village Green £20.00)
Personal Searches £22.00 (w.e.f. 1 January 2010)
Additional Parcel Questions for Personal Searches £1.00

Please make cheques payable to Ribble Valley Borough Council.

What are Financial Charges?

These are charges incurred by the Council for making derelict buildings safe, or clearing blocked drains can also be shown on the register. There may also be conditions attached to planning permissions restricting further development, or legal agreements concerning the use of buildings.

Do you do Commons Registration?

Yes - Commons Registration is now on the Con29(O) form and is question No.22. The fee for this question is £20.00.

Who can I contact within Ribble Valley Council regarding Local Land Charges?

The direct dial number for local land charges is 01200 414405.

The fax number is 01200 414488.

The email address is marie.mercer@ribblevalley.gov.uk

The DX number is 15157 Clitheroe.

The full postal address is:
Local Land Charges Department
Ribble Valley Borough Council
Council Offices
Church Walk
Clitheroe
BB7 2RA