Council moves property searches online to speed up sales

Torridge District Council has announced that from Tuesday 4 March, buying a property in the district will be quicker and simpler following the transfer of its local land charges (LLC) service to a national digital register.

The council has worked with HM Land Registry to move its LLC service online, allowing users to search property information instantly and make decisions earlier in the conveyancing process.

According to the council, most local land charges are restrictions or conditions on land and property, such as planning permissions or listed building status.

A search of the national register will reveal whether a property is subject to a charge, helping buyers make informed decisions.

Councillor Simon Newton, lead member for legal and democratic support at Torridge District Council, said: “Supporting the delivery of a national register that is fit for the digital age has been a key objective for us.  We are pleased that as from today our residents will have access to a resilient, reliable service that will make it simpler and quicker for everyone involved in the land registry process to make informed decisions about their projects.”

The council says the move is part of its wider digital transformation, supporting government priorities to make property transactions quicker, simpler, and cheaper. 

The search service is available to the public via GOV.UK, while business customers can access it through the HM Land Registry portal or Business Gateway.

Once all local authorities in England and Wales transfer their LLC data, the national register will contain more than 25 million charges. 

The council states that this will make property searches easier while also supporting economic growth by allowing businesses to develop new solutions based on the data.

Torridge District Council says it is among the early adopters of the new register, which it believes will provide a more transparent and user-friendly service for residents and businesses.