Buying your dream home

Buying a house can be stressful and during the process you may be told by your solicitor several times that "we are waiting for the local search". Read on if you have ever wondered what a local search is, how to get one and what information it holds.

Buying a home can be a stressful experience. To help facilitate the process your solicitor can apply online for a Croydon local authority search. The search protects you from nasty surprises after you've moved into your new home such as:

  • the kitchen extension, built 2 years ago, doesn't have building regulation approval and may have to be pulled down
  • there are plans to turn your quiet road into a dual carriageway or replace the shop on the corner with a hypermarket

Croydon local authority search

When your solicitor applies for a search they must submit the LLC1 and CON29R forms.

The LLC1 reveals all entries on the local land charges register, for example:

  • financial charges
  • tree preservation orders
  • conservation area
  • conditional planning consents
  • improvement grants

The CON29R reveals issues such as:

  • who maintains the road the property is on
  • the planning history of the property
  • the building control history of the property
  • traffic schemes
  • compulsory purchase orders
  • proposed tree preservation orders
  • other notices that may affect the property

Your solicitor can request extra information using the CON29O form. This reveals issues such as:

  • road proposals
  • public footpaths
  • common land and village greens

Additionally, your solicitor can request such information as:

  • whether there are plans to build a new road at the bottom of your garden
  • if there are any development proposals within 200 metres of your property

A search takes 2 or 3 working days to process. Please let us know if your search is urgent

Who compiles your local search

Often, the home buyer will not know who is compiling the search, the local authority or a personal search company. Ask your solicitor about the advantages of both methods.

Additional information based on the results of your search

The local authority is keeper of all search records. Contact us for copies of planning permissions or anything else your search has revealed.

A Croydon local authority search is the only official search in the borough of Croydon.

Local land charges team

local.landcharges@croydon.gov.uk
020 8407 1331 (3 lines)

Local land charges, 5th Floor, Zone C, Bernard Weatherill House, 8 Mint Walk, Croydon, CR0 1EA, or, DX 136017
CROYDON 17
United Kingdom