Local land charges

Search turnaround time is currently approximately 10 working days.

Local land charges searches

If you are planning to buy or lease a property you will need to know whether there are any issues of concern, such as plans for a motorway at the bottom of your garden or outstanding Notices requiring you to remedy an earlier wrongdoing.

In this context the word "charge" means any outstanding financial claim, restriction, decision or information which may affect a particular property or parcel of land. These include charges for such services as roads, restrictions such as tree preservation orders and conditions imposed on planning permissions, conservation areas, legal agreements and listed buildings.

By law, we must keep a ‘land charges register’. The register records relevant information on every property or parcel of land within the borough. It contains information on planning permissions, highway status/proposals, conservation area designation, tree preservation orders, enforcement notices, improvement grants, management orders, and financial charges.

Most people use a solicitor to arrange a local land charges search, however anyone is entitled to do this.

Drainage search enquiries should be sent directly to Dwr Cymru Welsh Water.

For queries relating to deeds, boundaries or ownership please contact your District Land Registry Office.

Applying for a search

A search request is usually submitted in two parts: Form LLC1 and Form CON29. These forms are available from legal stationers or the Law Society.

LLC1 - Application for an Official Search of the Register - The reply to such an application will, for example, reveal if the property is in a conservation area or may be a listed building, or if any trees on the property are protected by a tree preservation order etc.

CON29 - Standard Enquiries of Local Authorities Form - These deal with issues such as road schemes, planning history, building regulations and various notices which affect the property.

CON29O – Optional Enquiries - The Con29O form, if required, contains additional optional enquiries dealing with such issues as road proposals by private bodies, pipelines, hazardous substance consents etc.

Search Submission – to include completed LLC1 form and, if required, Con29 & Con29O and a plan clearly outlining your search extent in red, email your request to landcharges@caerphilly.gov.uk

CON29 Q1.1j, k, l & Q3.8 only, if required request via email with full address details and a plan clearly outlining your search extent in red and email your request to landcharges@caerphilly.gov.uk

Online searches using NLIS

This facility is normally for a solicitor or licensed conveyancer.  For further information visit the NLIS website.  www.nlis.org.uk

Ways to pay

Payment online

Paying online is easy and secure. The cards we accept are Maestro UK, MasterCard Debit, Visa Debit (Delta, Electron), Visa Credit and MasterCard Credit.

To avoid any incorrect payments being made please wait until you receive a confirmation email from us asking for payment to be made giving the exact fee payable.

Please remember when paying online to quote the reference number provided to you in our confirmation email confirming the correct fee payable.

Payment by BACS

• our bank account number 93455750
• our sort code 20-10-42
• our account name is "Caerphilly County Borough Council”.
• Please quote the reference number provided to you in our confirmation email

Search fees from 1 April 2023

Con29R/Con29O fees below are subject to 20% VAT from 1 January 2017.

Please note be are unable to offer an expedited service at this time.

We will certify official searches as they are completed by trained personnel who have detailed knowledge of all the information required for the CON29 questionnaire. This includes approved schemes that have not yet been implemented by the council such as:

• Proposed parking restrictions
• One way driving
• Prohibition of driving
• Traffic calming measures
• Nearby road or rail schemes
• Outstanding statutory notices relating to building works, environment, health and safety at work, housing, highways or public health

Personal searches

You can carry out a personal search but you will need to contact us to make an appointment. The search result is compiled from the Local Land Charges Register and does not include all CON29 information. We do not compile or certify personal search results, and responsibility for the accuracy of the replies lies with the relevant search company. Some banks and building societies will not accept personal searches for mortgage purposes.

Information about neighbouring properties

The search does not include information about neighbouring properties and is carried out only on the property outlined on the search request.

However, if you have any concerns about planning permissions on neighbouring properties or areas of land, or an additional enquiry can be submitted which allows you to ask a specific question. For example, has planning permission been granted on the immediate neighbours properties?

If you have concerns about areas of land, please be specific when colouring or outlining the area in question.

Please note that we cannot answer subjective queries such as planning permissions that might affect the enjoyment of the property or amenity or views. The fee for an additional enquiry is £18.90

Further information

If you would like any further information about Local Land Charges searches please contact us.