Local searches – Con29R

What are local searches? When you buy a house you’ll pay a solictor for local searches but what does that actually mean? What is included in the local searches?
Con29R is the form used to request searches.
* Planning and Building Regulation Decisions and Pending Application
* Planning Designations and Proposals
* Roads
* Land required for Public Purposes
* Land to be acquired for Road Works
* Drainage Agreements and Consents
* Nearby Road Schemes
* Nearby Railway Schemes
* Traffic Schemes
* Outstanding Notices
* Infringement of Building Regulations
* Notices, Orders, Directions and Proceedings under Planning Acts
* Conservation Area
* Compulsory Purchase
* Contaminated Land
* Radon Gas

The form contains the following questions:

CON29R QUESTIONS

1. PLANNING AND BUILDING REGULATIONS
1.1 Planning and Building Decisions and Pending Applications
Which of the following relating to the property have been granted, issued,
or refused, or (where applicable) are the subject of pending applications:-
(a) a planning permission;
(b) a listed building consent;
(c) a conservation area consent;
(d) a certificate of lawfulness of existing use or development;
(e) a certificate of lawfulness of proposed use or development;
(f) buildings regulation approval;
(g) a building regulation completion certificate; and
(h) any building regulations certificate of notice issued in respect of work
carried out under a competant person self-certification scheme?
1.2 Planning Designations and Proposals
What designations of land use for the property or the area and what specific
proposals for the property, are contained in any existing or proposed
development plan?
3.1 Land required for Public Purposes
Is the property included in land required for public purposes?
3.3 Drainage Agreements and Consents
Do either of the following exist in relation to the property:-
(a) an agreement to drain buildings in combination into an existing sewer by

means of a private sewer; or
(b) an agreement or consent for (i) a building, or (ii) extension to a building
on
the property, to be built over, or in the vicinity of a drain, sewer or disposal
main?
3.5 Nearby Railway Schemes
Is the property (or will it be) within 200 metres of the centre line of a proposed
£2
railway, tramway, light railway or monorail?

3.6 Traffic Schemes

permanent stopping up or diversion
waiting or loading restrictions;
one way driving;
prohibition of driving;
pedestrianisation;
vehicle width or weight restriction;
traffic calming works including road humps;
residents parking controls;
minor road widening or improvement;
pedestrian crossings;
cycle tracks;
bridge building?

3.7 Outstanding Notices
Do any statutory notices which relate to the following matters subsist in
realtion to the property other than those revealed in a response to any other
enquiry in this Schedule:-
(a) building works;
(b) environment;
(c) health and safety;
(d) housing;
(e) highways; or
(f) public health?
3.8 Contravention of Building Regulations
Has a local authority authorised in relation to the property any proceedings for
the contravention of any provision contained in Building Regulations?
3.9 Notices, Orders, Directions and Proceedings under Planning Acts
Do any of the following subsist in relation to the property, or has a local
authority decided to issue, serve, make or commence any of the following:-
(a) an enforcement notice;
(b) a stop notice;
(c) a listed building enforcement notice;
(d) a breach of condition notice;
(e) a planning contravention notice;
(f) another notice relating to breach of control;
(g) a listed building repairs notice;
(h) in the case of a listed building deliberately allowed to fall into disrepair,
a
compulsory purchase order with a direction for minimum compensation;
(i) a building preservation notice;
(j) a direction restricting permitted development;
(k) an order revoking or modifying planning permission;
(l) an order requiring discontinuance of use or alteration or removal of building
or works;
(m) a tree preservation order; or
(n) proceedings to enforce a planning agreement or planning contribution?

3.10 Conservation Area
Do the following apply in relation to the property:-
(a) the making of the area a Conservation Area before 31 August 1974;
(b) an unimplemented resolution to designate the area a Conservation Area?
3.11 Compulsory Purchase
Has any enforceable order or decision been made to compulsorily purchase or
acquire the property?
3.12 Contaminated Land
Do any of the following apply (including any relating to land adjacent to or
adjoining the property which has been identified as contaminated land because
it is in such a condition that harm or pollution of controlled waters might be
caused on the property):-
(a) a contaminated land notice;
(b) in relation to a register maintained under section 78R of the Environmental
Protection Act 1990:-
(i) a decision to make an entry; or
(ii) an entry;
(c) consultation with the owner or occupier of the property conducted under
section 78G(3) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 before the service of
a remediation notice?
3.13 Radon Gas
Do the records indicate that the property is in a "Radon Affected Area"
as £2 identified by the Health Protection Agency?

A local search also include a LLC1 which asks for a formal search of the local register of land charges.

The Parts of the register record:
Part 1 General financial charges.
Part 2 Specific financial charges.
Part 3 Planning charges.
Part 4 Miscellaneous charges.
Part 5 Fenland ways maintenance charges.
Part 6 Land Compensation charges.
Part 7 New towns charges.
Part 8 Civil aviation charges.
Part 9 Opencast coal charges.
Part 10 Listed buildings charges.
Part 11 Light obstruction notices.
Part 12 Drainage scheme charges.

Form CON29O
Includes optional searches

Road Proposals by Private Bodies
Public Paths or byways Advertisements
Completion Notices
Parks & Countryside
Pipelines
Houses in Multiple Occupation
Noise Abatement
Urban Development Areas
Enterprise Zones
Inner Urban Improvement Areas
Food Safety
Simplified Planning Zones
Land Maintenance Notices
Mineral Consultation Areas
Hazardous Substance Consents
Environmental and Pollution Notices
Food Safety Notices
Hedgerow Notices
Registered Common Land and Town or Village Green

Common Land Searches must be submitted as an optional enquiry using Form CON29O

Part 1 Gives a description of the land and the date of when it was made Common
Land or a Village Green;
Part 2 Gives details of who has common rights over the land;
Part 3 Gives details of ownership of the land

Things not included in the local searches:
Most importantly it doesn’t tell you about any local planning applications. You can search for local planning applications online with most councils or pay their planning department a visit and look at the maps. Staff can be helpful. It can be of great use if there is any land that could be developed near your potential new home to check whether or not any planning applications have been put in.

CON29DW is the form for water company searches for water and drainage.

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