Local land charges
What is a Local Land Charges Search?
A Local Land Charge is a restriction or financial charge put on land or property. It is binding upon successive owners.
Please see our new fees schedule.
Using our online form we take payment upfront for most searches via credit card. If you want to search for many additional parcels of land (more than 10) you will pay most of your fees upfront when you submit the form but will then be sent an invoice for the additional costs linked to the large number of parcels.
We are only able to offer a refund if cancellation is requested and agreed by us before the search is recorded and accepted.
Our current turnaround time: 10 working days
The Local Planning Authority, is the only source for this official certified search.
If you are not sure of the Local Planning Authority boundary in which your land or property is located, please check the postcode via GOV.UK’s find your local council online search facility.
More information about Local Land Charges can be found in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government guidance on how to buy a home and how to sell a home.
What a Local Land Charges Search covers
A full Local Land Charges Search, known as an Official Certificate of Search, will reveal the relevant history about a parcel of land. This includes:
- Planning Applications
- Agreements (if applicable)
- Article 4 Directions (if applicable)
- Tree Preservation Orders (if applicable)
- Enforcement Notices (if applicable)
- Building Control Applications (15 years)
- Basic Highway replies (for example, is my property on an adopted road)
- Environmental Health information
- Public Rights of Way
Greater Cambridge Shared Planning covers searches for Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire District.
Fee Schedule
Fees as of 1 April 2024
Residential search fees
- Full residential search £196 (includes VAT)
- LLC1 Search only: £45 (VAT exempt)
Commercial/land search fees
- Full commercial search £318 (includes VAT)
- LLC1 Search only: £45 (VAT exempt)
For a complete list of fees, please view our Local Land Charges Fees Schedule.
There may be an admin fee for copies of documents. Please first check the Online Planning Register. Most decision notices are free to download.
Submitting a Search
- Please provide a correct, clear and full address of the property or land
- Please provide an Ordnance Survey plan, showing the full extent of the area/property edged in red
- For response to Question 2.1 roads must be named in box C. We do not accept phrases such as 'all abutting' Any search on unnamed roads, footways and footpaths should be clearly marked on the plan.
- Additional parcels of land must have a common boundary or can only be separated by road, railway, river, stream or canal. If there is land or buildings between your plotted areas, they will need to be submitted as separate searches.
- You will need to pay for your search online when you submit the form. Please ensure you have completed the form correctly as your fees are based on the answers to your questions
Since March 2020 Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire Councils no longer accept payment by cheque or postal requests.
You can also submit a full electronic search using the National Land Information Service.
Personal Search
A Personal Search is a search of the Local Land Charges Register only. The service is free of charge.
We only accept email bookings for Personal Searches. Please contact the team directly at land.charges@greatercambridgeplanning.org with the following information:
- The full postal address to be searched - we cannot use plot numbers
- A site plan clearly showing the boundary marked in red
- The name of the person or company carrying out the Personal Search
You can submit up to 6 addresses for any appointment, providing a separate site plan for each address. Appointments are allocated on a first come first served basis and we will email you to confirm.
An Official Certificate of Search is not provided after a Personal Search.
A guide for inspecting or purchasing information and data is available to download