A Local Authority Search is usually carried out when land or property is bought or leased. It can be applied for by anyone but it is normally done by solicitors or conveyancers. Some applications are submitted to the local authority through third parties, such as property search companies or online search providers.

Search Options

There are various ways to search the Local Land Charges register and request CON 29 Enquiries. A standard official search is in two parts LLC1 and CON 29. Forms are available in paper and electronic format from law stationers.

Form LLC1

This consists of a search of the 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.

Form CON 29 

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.

Form CON 29 Optional

Part 2 of the Form CON 29 includes optional enquiries that may be requested at the discretion of the applicant such as public paths, noise abatement orders and pollution notices.

Component Search

You can request replies to specific CON 29 questions using our Local Land Charges Search Request Form and payment of the appropriate fee. The fees for Eastbourne Borough Council and Lewes District Council are can be downloaded below.

Personal Search

A Personal Search is an inspection of the Local Land Charges register that you conduct yourself. It is your responsibility to identify the land/property and to take note of any information held in the register.

At Eastbourne Borough Council and Lewes District Council we currently offer different ways to conduct a Personal Search, there is no fee for either of these searches.

Eastbourne Borough Council

For searches within Eastbourne Borough, we offer a free online search facility

Lewes District Council

For searches within Lewes District you need to inspect the register in person at our Southover House Office. Please contact us to make an appointment for a personal search. Appointments are available between 10.00am and 4.00pm, Monday to Friday.

Some of the CON 29 information is available for free by personal inspection of statutory registers or public records. 

Please ensure you enclose the following documents:-

• An up to date 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 LLC1

• Form Con29

When completing the CON 29 form for an official search, please note that the council cannot reply to phrases in Box C such as "all those abutting the property". Relevant roads (maximum of three) should be clearly named, or described, in Box C, and may additionally be marked on your plan.

A separate application is required for each property or piece of land (subject to the additional parcels section below).

The information given in reply to a search relates only to the land/property identified on the search request and plan.

The National Land Information Service (NLIS) offer a way of sending and receiving searches and payments electronically, via a number of licensed channel providers. Contact the NLIS channel providers for information on their services and how to participate. There are other providers of online services.

Additional parcels of land

For search purposes a 'parcel' is a piece of land/property occupied or owned separately from the land adjoining it, or separated by more than just a road, river or railway.

Normally, a separate search should be made for each parcel of land. However, a search can include more than one parcel if it is required for the purposes of a single transaction and the parcels have a common boundary or are separated only by a road, river or railway.

We also accept a garage as an additional parcel where it is located in a nearby garage block on the same development as the dwelling being searched. The same principle applies to parking spaces.

If requesting a component CON 29 Enquiries search, the fee for each additional parcel will be the same as for the first parcel (subject to a maximum of £12.00 per parcel).

Other organisations which hold information

There are a number of other organisations that you may want to contact for further or different types of information.  

• For planning matters (since 1/4/2012) and planning policy within the National Park you can go to the South Downs National Park Authority website
• East Sussex County Council has further information on County-wide development plans, public highways, rights of way, road/transport schemes, common land, town and village greens
• Radon gas information can be found on UKradon - radon risk reports and measurement services

Public records

Some information may be available in other areas of our website. An appointment may need to be made with the relevant department in order to carry out a personal inspection.  

• Planning and Building Control
  
• Planning Register
  
• Local Plans
  
• Tree Preservation Orders and Hedgerow Notices
• Enforcement Notices, Stop Notices and Breach of Condition Notices
• Listed Buildings
• Conservation Areas
• Hazardous Substances Register

 Environmental Health

• Food Premises Register

• Contaminated Land Register

• Register of Permitted Processes - Part B and A2 installations

• Licensing Register

• Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) Register