Winners announced: Land Data Local Land Charges Awards for Excellence 2020

Over 140 local authority Local Land Charges Officers who carry out land and property searches required for conveyancing transactions, attended the 13th Land Data Local Land Charges Awards for Excellence gala dinner, hosted by comedian Zoe Lyons. 

The national awards recognise the work and achievements of Local Land Charges departments in England and Wales. More than 200 entries and nominations naming 73 local authorities were submitted by solicitors, licensed conveyancers, customer services experts and Local Land Charges Personnel. The finalists were drawn from a shortlist of 54 local authority teams and 9 individuals.

The Awards which are sponsored by the Local Land Charges Institute, SearchFlow, Coal Authority, Land Data and the National Land Information Service (NLIS), cover eight categories recognising customer satisfaction, best customer experience, most improved NLIS service, best NLIS Local Land Charges department, the Unsung Hero, the Digital Data Award and the Local Authority searches team of the year. 

A winner and a highly commended for each category were chosen by a panel of judges from the Coal Authority, HM Land Registry, the Law Society, Land Data, the Local Land Charges Institute and the National Land Information Service (NLIS).

Jan Boothroyd, Land Data’s Chief Executive, commented: “The 2020 Local Land Charges Awards for Excellence was once again a huge success and provided an excellent forum to celebrate professional excellence. We had some very strong contenders this year, many demonstrating new ways of collaborating, embracing technology and being creative in how they offer added value to their customers. All the finalists are very worthy and deserving winners!”

 The 2020 Award winners are: 

• Customer Satisfaction Award for Local Authority Searches – sponsored by the Coal Authority

            Winner: Westminster City Council

            Highly commended: Arun District Council

• Most Improved NLIS Services – sponsored by Land Data

            Winner: Test Valley Borough Council

            Highly commended: Aylesbury Vale District Council

• Local Land Authority Searches Team of the Year – sponsored by the Local Land Charges Institute

            Winner: Wealden District Council

            Highly commended: London Borough of Havering

• Best Performing NLIS Level 3 Local Land Charges Department – sponsored by the National Land Information Service (NLIS)

            Winner: City of York Council

            Highly commended: Wakefield Metropolitan District Council

• Best Performing NLIS Level 2 Local Land Charges Department – sponsored by the National Land Information Service (NLIS)

            Winner: London Borough of Bromley

            Highly commended: London Borough of Lambeth

• Best Customer Experience Award - sponsored by SearchFlow

            Winner: Arun District Council

            Highly commended: London Borough of Havering

• The Unsung Hero Award – sponsored by the National Land Information Service (NLIS) Hub

            Winner: Hayley Ayris, London Borough of Havering

            Highly commended: Simon Brazil, Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames

• The Digital Data Award – sponsored by Land Data

            Winner: Mid Devon District Council

            Highly commended: London Borough of Havering