Land registry consulting on widening their powers. Is this a good thing ?

Planning Advisory Service (PAS)

Open group | Started - July 2012 | Last activity - Today

Richard Crawley, modified 10 Years ago.

Land registry consulting on widening their powers. Is this a good thing ?

Expert Posts: 254 Join Date: 07/12/11 Recent Posts

I see there is a consultation on the land registry taking on wider powers.

Part of it is described as

"This will also involve the provision of Local Land Charges searches and together would enable it to provide a more consistent, standardised Local Land Charges searches system. "

Is this seen as a useful reduction in admin or something that is going to cost money to service without any income ? I'm very out of date in this area and I don't know how much of an issue it is.

consultation land registry

Former Member, modified 10 Years ago.

Land registry consulting on widening their powers. Is this a good thing ?

I don't see it as being a reduction in admin at all. All the same things will be happening but just in a different place.

The LR will have to obtain data from LAs in all the different software formats that are in use all over the country and somehow integrate it into whatever software they propose to use. Not an easy task I suggest! No doubt that process will involve a lot of work for LAs for which they will not be paid.

In any event, the LR, as I understand it, is proposing to only do half the job. The replies to the questions on form LLC1 (which basically relates to the Register entries) will be done by the LR but the CON 29 form additional questions will still be answered by the LAs. So conveyancers will have to deal with both the LR and the relevant LA. So much for the "One Stop Shop" which is one of the selling points for the proposal.

Richard Crawley, modified 10 Years ago.

Land registry consulting on widening their powers. Is this a good thing ?

Expert Posts: 254 Join Date: 07/12/11 Recent Posts

Thanks Tony.

It says in the press release

"Within the scope of the original prototype Land Registry also explored using open standards for local authorities to publish Con 29 information (a standard set of enquiries including public foot paths, building control regulations and property related entries, copyright owned by the Law Society). Land Registry will be working with a range of stakeholders and the market to develop a prototype for Con 29 searches in the future."

I'm guessing that this means that they will define a standard, and those authorities that publish in line with the standard don't need to do anything else.

Former Member, modified 10 Years ago.

Land registry consulting on widening their powers. Is this a good thing ?

The recent letter from The Local Land Charges Institute to the Minister for Business and Enterprise can be found here: http://www.llci.org/NewsArticle/Letter-to-Minister-for-Business-and-Enterprise

It contains a very detailed critique of the LR proposals. Amongst the proposals is one to only record and reveal charges that are less than 15 years old. That amazes me. Why would the LR believe that the conveyancing process is not interested in anything older such as TPO's or conservation area designations?