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Property - searches

It is important to have a search carried out when buying a property as it is designed to protect prospective purchasers by informing them of, for instance, plans to build a new road in the vicinity, whether the highway fronting the property is public or privately maintained, to let them know about planning permissions/conditions, tree preservation orders, enforcement notices, or housing grants etc, which may affect the property to be purchased.

Each search involves research in respect of town planning, statutory orders, highways, housing and environmental health matters and is sent to the four separate Council service groupings for their action. When the Land Charges officers receive the required information, the replies from the service groupings are collated and completed searches are usually returned to the applicant within 5/6 working days.

Additional enquiry numbers 17-36 on Part II of the Land Charges Form Con29A relate to matters such as road schemes, public footpaths, planning and environmental service matters. These enquiries are also dispatched to the relevant service groupings for their comments. Stockton on Tees Borough Council no longer replies to drainage enquiries and, therefore, a separate search needs to be sent to Northumbrian Water. The applicant's solicitor will be aware of this service.

'Expedited Searches' require an additional fee. Those urgent searches with additional enquiries will however take longer to complete, therefore, additional enquiries are not accepted with 'expedited searches'.

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Other pages you may find useful

• Local land charges search (PID 672)