Local authority search
Local authority search when buying a house: LLC1 and CON29 explained
The local authority search checks council-held records that can affect the property. It usually combines the Local Land Charges Register search, often called LLC1, with CON29 enquiries about planning, building control, highways, notices and local schemes.
This page is about the local authority search result. It does not replace planning-history checks, survey advice or title advice from your conveyancer.
Last updated: 31 May 2026. Editorially reviewed: 31 May 2026.
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Run a free previewWhy buyers should read it closely
The local search is where many legal surprises first appear: missing building regulation completion, enforcement notices, nearby road schemes, conservation area constraints, tree preservation orders, financial charges, smoke-control areas, compulsory purchase risk and whether the road serving the property is adopted.
Some items are routine. Others affect value or your plans. A conservation area may be fine if you do not intend to alter the exterior. Missing sign-off for an extension is different: the conveyancer needs evidence, regularisation, indemnity or a lender-approved path.
Official, regulated and personal searches
An official search is compiled by the council or HM Land Registry where the local land charges register has migrated. A regulated or personal search is compiled by a search company from accessible records and council data. Lenders vary in what they accept, so your conveyancer should order the product your lender permits.
Source and search scope
| Source | What it checks |
|---|---|
| LLC1 local land charges | Registered charges and restrictions such as planning agreements, conservation constraints, tree preservation orders, listed-building entries and financial charges. |
| CON29 planning and building control | Planning permissions, building regulation records, enforcement, breach notices and completion records held by the local authority. |
| Highways and roads | Whether roads abutting the property are publicly adopted, plus road schemes, traffic schemes and rights of way that the council records. |
| Public notices and constraints | Notices, orders, environmental health entries and other council matters that may affect use, value or future works. |
What the result means
Road not adopted
The council may not maintain the road. Ask who pays for repairs, whether rights of access are in the title, and whether the lender is comfortable.
Planning or building-control mismatch
Works may lack documented permission or sign-off. The fix could be evidence, regularisation, indemnity or renegotiation.
Conservation area, TPO or Article 4
Future alterations may be restricted. This matters most if you plan external changes, extensions, tree works or conversion.
Buyer and lender implications
- Lenders may require solicitor confirmation for missing permissions, notices, unadopted roads or unresolved enforcement.
- A result can affect your renovation plan even if it does not affect the mortgage.
- Search entries should be cross-checked against the seller's TA6 replies and any extensions visible at the viewing or survey.
Questions to ask your solicitor
- 1Are there any planning permissions without matching building-regulation completion evidence?
- 2Is the road adopted, and if not, what legal access and maintenance rights exist?
- 3Are there any enforcement notices, breach notices, financial charges or compulsory purchase entries?
- 4Do conservation area, listed-building, Article 4 or TPO entries restrict my intended works?
- 5Does any result need lender reporting or indemnity before exchange?
Related conveyancing search guides
Run the check on this address
MyPropertyScan does not replace conveyancing searches. It gives you a pre-offer public-data preview so you can ask better questions before spending money on legal work, searches and surveys.
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Check the property before you offer
Flood, subsidence, EPC, crime, schools, transport, broadband, tenure, age, listed status and price checks where data is available.
Run a free previewFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between LLC1 and CON29?
LLC1 checks the Local Land Charges Register. CON29 asks standard enquiries about council records such as planning, building control, roads, notices and local schemes. Buyers often receive them together as the local authority search.
How serious is an unadopted road on a local search?
It depends on access rights and maintenance arrangements. A private road can be acceptable if the title grants access and there is a clear maintenance mechanism. It is a lender and resale concern if those points are unclear.
Does the local authority search prove an extension is lawful?
Not by itself. It can show planning and building-control records, but your conveyancer still needs to compare the records with the actual works, seller documents and any title restrictions.
Can I rely on a seller's old local search?
Only if your conveyancer and lender accept its age, scope and provider. Local search results can change, especially where planning, road or enforcement matters are active.
Editorial review
Editorial owner: BiteRight Ltd, operator of MyPropertyScan. We review buyer guides against UK public property datasets, RICS survey wording, lender requirements, and common buyer questions.
Pages are updated when source coverage, property-risk guidance, survey cost assumptions, or product checks materially change. Methodology and dataset limitations are explained on the MyPropertyScan methodology page.
Sources used
We use UK public and specialist sources where they are available. Public datasets can be incomplete, delayed, or missing for some addresses. Treat them as a starting point, not as a replacement for professional advice.
Source standard: preference goes to official government datasets, statutory bodies, professional standards, and primary dataset publishers. We cite the source family on the page and explain coverage limits rather than filling gaps with unsupported estimates.
General information only. Not legal, mortgage, insurance or surveying advice. Always confirm search results with your own conveyancer, lender, insurer and surveyor before exchange. MyPropertyScan is operated by BiteRight Ltd.