Under the Local Land Charges Act 1975, the Council has a statutory duty to maintain an accurate and up-to-date register of Local Land Charges affecting land and property.
The purpose of the Register is to record details of all entries registered against properties within the borough that fall within the definition of a local land charge e.g. expressly made a local land charge by statute or a charge which is a restriction or prohibition on a parcel of land securing payment or restricting use and is binding on successive owners. There are 12 different parts of the LLC Register covering a wide range of areas, e.g. financial charges, planning, miscellaneous, aviation, listed buildings and light obstructions notices.
The Local Land Charges Section also carries out all Official Searches of the Register for land / property within Blaenau Gwent. The object of the search is to uncover any restrictions or legal obligations against the site. The Land Charges Section collates information from a range of council departments at Blaenau Gwent Council to compile replies to search enquiries, and ensure that search requests are returned as promptly as possible, so minimising delays in the house buying process.
Official Searches
An Official Local Authority search is a service for people purchasing or re-mortgaging property or land within the Blaenau Gwent area who want to find out information that may affect it.
Search requests are usually received from the solicitor or licensed conveyancer acting for the purchaser of a property but anyone can request a search by submitting the correct forms. The forms are LLC1 and CON29 and are available from legal stationers.
How to Apply for a Full Official Local Authority Search
Local Authority Searches can be submitted via email to land.charges@blaenau-gwent.gov.uk.
A search request is usually submitted in two parts: form LLC1 and form CON29
LLC1 – Application for an official search of the Register – This deals with all the registerable charges, for example Tree Preservation Orders, Improvement grants, Listed Buildings and Planning agreements.
CON29R – deals with issues such as road schemes, the planning history of the property and environmental matters
CON29O – is an optional form dealing with additional enquiries that may relate specifically to the land/property being searched
To apply for a search, you should include forms LLC1 and CON29R (and if required CON29O), a site location plan showing the area to be searched outlined in red and the required fee (see table below).
Payment must be made by BACS, details below. When making payment, please ensure the property address is used as the payment reference.
Search Fees From 1 April 2022
| BEFORE VAT | FEE | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Search (LLC1 only) | £4.00 | - | £4.00 |
| CON29R only (one parcel of land) | £97.50 | £19.50 | £117.00 |
| Full Search (LLC1 and CON29) | £101.50 | £19.50 | £121.00 |
| ADDITIONAL ENQUIRIES | |||
| Optional CON29O Questions 4 - 21 | £5.00 | £1.00 | £6.00 |
| Optional CON29O Question 22 | £10.00 | £2.00 | £12.00 |
| Additional Parcel of Land | £10.00 | £2.00 | £12.00 |
BACS Payment details
BANK DETAILS:
BARCLAYS BANK PLC
P.O. BOX 674
3RD FLOOR WINDSOR COURT
3 WINDSOR PLACE
CARDIFF
CF10 3ZL
ACCOUNT NAME: BLAENAU GWENT COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL
SORT CODE: 20-56-64
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 60363324
SWIFTBIC: BARCGB22
Can I Order Individual Enquiries From the CON29R?
No, a CON29R cannot be split into individual enquiries. A full submission must be made along with the appropriate fee.
Where do I Send my Commons Registration Search?
A request for a Commons Search must also be submitted to the Land Charges Section. You will need to supply a CON29 Optional Enquiry form, ticking Enquiry No 22. The fee for this is £12.00 (including VAT)
What is a Personal Search?
A personal search is an inspection of the Local Land Charges Register carried out independently via a third person (usually a Personal Search Agent).
If you wish to carry out a Personal Search of the Local Land Charges Register please contact the land charges section on 01495 355086 to make an appointment. You will then be asked to email details of the addresses to be searched and appropriate plans to land.charges@blaenau-gwent.gov.uk
If you wish to carry out a personal search of registers held elsewhere within the Local Authority please contact each department individually.
Building Control – E-mail building.control@blaenau-gwent.gov.uk
Highways – E-mail HighwaysSearches@blaenau-gwent.gov.uk
Planning – E-mail planning@blaenau-gwent.gov.uk
Environmental Health – E-mail environmental.health@blaenau-gwent.gov.uk
Drainage search enquiries should be sent directly to Dwr Cymru Welsh Water (http://www.dwrcymru.com/en.aspx).
For queries relating to deeds, boundaries or ownership please contact your District Land Registry Office (http://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/land-registry
Contact Information
Land Charges Section
Telephone Number: 01495 355086
Address: The General Offices, Steelworks Road, Ebbw Vale NP23 6DN
E-mail Address: land.charges@blaenau-gwent.gov.uk