Local Land Charges - Personal Search

Local Land Charges protect the financial and legal interest of prospective purchasers of land and property by providing information on land and property and giving access to the Local Land Charges Register.

Personal Searches are usually carried out by private search companies employed by solicitors and conveyancers on behalf of clients but any member of the public could carry out a personal search.

A personal search is a search in the Local Land Charges Register for which a statutory fee is paid, usually carried out by a personal search company on behalf of a solicitor but can be undertaken by anyone.

The search does not receive anything in writing and the information is presented in the form of a report, the onus is on the searcher to record anything of relevance. This can carry considerable risk as the information may be interpreted, taken down incorrectly, or even omitted completely.

If the personal searcher (rather than the Local Authority) makes such an error, then the solicitor who commissioned the personal search, or their client, would have no claim under Section 10 of the Local Land Charges Act, 1975, which relates to compensation for loss.

An appointment must be made to attend the Local Land Charges office to inspect the Local Land Charges Register upon payment of the prescribed fee.

This concludes the personal search, however the searcher is then entitled to inspect other registers that are available for public inspection.

In this authority they are:-

• The Planning Register
• The Stop and Enforcement Notices Register
• Register for Houses in Multiple Occupation
• Hazardous Substance Consents
• The Definitive Map (Public Footpaths)

All of which can be inspected free of charge at Westgate Plaza 1, Westgate, Barnsley.

A Personal Search is £11.00 and an additional property/parcel of land £1.00.  Payment mus be made by cheque or cash at the time of inspection.

The service is governed by the Local Land Charges Act, 1975 and the Local Land Charges Rules, 1977.

However, the Local Land Charges Register refers to numerous other acts such as the Town and Country Planning Act, Highways Act, Building Acts to name but a few.

The Land Charges Office can be contacted at:-

Local Land Charges
Town Hall
Barnsley
S70 2TA

Tel:   01226 773054

Email:   Local Land Charges

Opening hours are between 9 am to 12 noon and 2 pm to 4 pm Monday to Friday.