Why you may need to carry out a local land charge search

When buying or selling any property or land, a local land charge search should be carried out to reveal any legal restrictions held by the council. If restrictions do exist, the next owner or occupier will be bound by them.

Examples of restrictions may include:

• Planning Constraints

• Tree Preservation Orders

• Compulsory Purchase Orders

Arranging a land charge search

To arrange a search, your legal representative (or yourself) will need to contact the relevant district council below.

• Christchurch local land charges

  A guide to our services. If you wish to request a search or if you require further information please contact us.

• Dorset County Council local land/highway searches

  The Highways Information Unit is responsible for supplying the district councils with information relating to highway matters and common land and village greens on the CON29 Local Authority Land Charges search form - completed as part of the property conveyancing process.

• East Dorset Local Land Charges - local authority searches

  The purpose of the local authority search is to find out whether a prospective purchaser of a particular property or land will inherit any commitments of a legal or general nature if they continue with the transaction.

• North Dorset local land charges

  The Local Land Charges office carries out local authority searches and maintains the Local Land Charges Register.

• Purbeck local land charges

  A guide to our services, including search tips, fees and further contact details.

• West Dorset local land charges

  This service is for people who are buying, selling or re-mortgaging a property or land in West Dorset.

• Land charges - Weymouth and Portland

  The land charges section is responsible for providing information regarding land and property in the borough in response to local land charges searches submitted by solicitors, licensed conveyancers and members of the public.

• DCC - Access and charging arrangements

  Access and charging arrangements and fees for searches from 1 April 2010

• Access to legal agreements - charges for copy documents