Local councils maintain a large amount of data relating to properties in their area and searches of these records called ‘Local Authority Searches’ provide essential information which must be included in HIP.

What is contained in a Local Authority Search?
A basic local authority search comprises a LLC1 plus CON29R questions.
A search with extra questions comprises a LLC1 plus CON29R questions and all or some of the CON29O optional questions.

LLC1 – The Official Certificate of Search
This reveals the entries on the Land Charges Register. This would include (if applicable to the property):

• Tree preservation orders
• Listed buildings
• Conservation areas since 1974
• Smoke control areas
• Conditional planning permissions
• Financial charges registered against the property
• Enforcement notices

CON29R – The Enquiries of Local Authorities Form
This includes:

• Planning history
• Building control regulations
• Highway information (including road schemes)
• Proposed tree preservation orders
• Proposed enforcement or breach of condition notices

Many of these replies are not to be found on Statutory Public Registers.

CON290 – The Optional Enquiries of Local Authorities Form
This includes:

• Public footpaths and byways
• Gas pipelines
• Common land enquiries
  

A personal search comprises an inspection by anyone of the Public Register held by the Council, which includes the Land Charge Register maintained by the Council for a specific property. A fee set by Central Government is payable at the time of making the search.

A personal search may not provide all the information available had a CON29R or a CON29O search been made.