Planning and building control

Local authority searches

Land charges search

When buying a property or piece of land, your solicitor will submit a local land charges search which will show whether there are any legal restrictions affecting the land or property.

The council will investigate any restrictions and bring all the information together in the form of a local authority search.  The information is collected from different council departments including planning and building control, environmental health and transportation.

Types of searches

There are three types of searches:

Local Land Charges search

This consists of a search of the Local Land Charges Register. It reveals if there are any outstanding charges such as financial ones where money is owed to the council when work has been carried out on the property or land.

Other charges include tree preservation orders, renovation grants, conservation and listed buildings, road agreements, conditional planning applications and enforcement notices.

Local Land Charges searches can be obtained from HM Land Registry at a cost of £15.

Form Con29

This is a questionnaire and the information comes from various council departments.  It contains Part 1 standard questions revealing any road proposals or schemes, compulsory purchase orders, enforcement actions, building regulations or planning applications and formal/informal notices.

It also contains Part 2 optional enquiries such as public paths, noise abatement orders and pollution notices.

Personal search

Anyone can make a personal search. You must make an appointment to carry out a personal search. Please contact planning services.

It is a self serve system located in Garston One Stop Shop and Library, Bowden Road, L19 1QN and available data includes:

  • Planning and building control.
  • Transportation.

How to submit a local authority search

Online via the National Land Information Service (NLIS)

This service aims to speed up the conveyancing process by the use of electronic online transactions.  It connects law firms, conveyancers and data providers such as HM Land Registry and local authority local land charges registries.

Submit enquiries to Liverpool City Council via the NLIS hub

By email

You can email your request to landcharges@liverpool.gov.uk and attach the following documents: 

  • A copy of the plan. Please mark clearly the outline of the area to be searched in red. It is crucial that the plan also shows the surrounding roads and properties.
  • Form CON29.
  • The correct local authority search fee (see below), which you can pay online or by calling Planning and Building Control on 0151 233 3021.

For environmental health information, you should contact 0151 233 3055. They should allow access to data within five working days of receiving the property details.

If you have any queries you can email landcharges@liverpool.gov.uk. Please note that there may be a cost to providing any information but we will advise you of this at the time of your enquiry.

Fees

  • Local Land Charges searches can be obtained from HM Land Registry at a cost of £15.
  • CON 29R - £96 (£80 + £16 VAT)
  • Common land search  (Question 22) - £10.20 (£8.50 + £1.70 VAT)
  • Part 2 enquiries (additional questions/options enquiries Question 4 to Question 22 - £10.20 (£8.50 + £1.70 VAT)
  • Personal search - No charge