Local land charges
What is a land search?
We can provide information about land or property to you if you are a prospective purchaser or developer in the borough of St Helens.
When buying a house or land, a number of checks are usually carried out to make sure there are no problems, including a local authority search.
Your solicitor or licensed conveyancer often does this on your behalf, but you can request a search yourself if you prefer.
However, some conveyancers and solicitors use third-party companies to carry out searches on their behalf. These companies don't always request full official local authority searches from us, so the council can't be held responsible for the answers they provide or the time it takes.
If your search was carried out by a third-party company and you need further explanations about the information provided, you will need to contact the company directly as we won't be able to help.
St Helens Council's Local Land Charges Register has migrated to HM Land Registry
St Helens Local Land Charges Register officially transferred to HM Land Registry as part of the Infrastructure Act 2015 on 28 January 2026.
We no longer accept requests for personal searches or LLC1's. These searches can now be requested through HM Land Registry's portal.
How do I apply?
Official LLC1
This search provides information held in the Local Land Charges Register and can only be produced and certified by a local government authority. This search can reveal any restrictions, prohibitions or financial charges on the property or area of land.
We no longer accept requests for LLC1's as St Helens Local Land Charges Register officially transferred to HM Land Registry as part of the Infrastructure Act 2015 on 28 January 2026.
You can request an official LLC1 search through HM Land Registry's portal.
Official CON29R
This search includes approximately 85 enquiry sections which provide important environmental information about the property or area of land. It can reveal any building regulation information, drainage agreements, contaminated land, conservation areas, road proposals or schemes and any statutory notices against the property or area of land which may incur financial charges.
CON29R enquiries may be submitted using our online local land charges service, or though the NLIS website. You will need to sign-up for an account if you have not used our online local land charges service previously. Please be aware that if you're uploading documents as part of your search, the total file size of all files cannot exceed 4MB, and all search requests should be submitted together with an up-to-date plan (to scale) with the boundary edged in red.
Official CON29O
This search includes 19 optional enquiry sections which provide further environmental information about the property or area of land. It can reveal any noise abatement notices, road proposals by private bodies, enterprise zones, common land notices and public paths affecting the property or area of land.
CON29O enquiries may be submitted using our online local land charges service, or though the NLIS website. You will need to sign-up for an account if you have not used our online local land charges service previously. Please be aware that if you're uploading documents as part of your search, the total file size of all files cannot exceed 4MB, and all search requests should be submitted together with an up-to-date plan (to scale) with the boundary edged in red.
Personal searches
A personal search is a free service which provides basic Local Land Charges Register information on a property or area of land. Planning information is readily and freely accessible by using the Planning Portal.
We no longer accept requests for personal searches as St Helens Local Land Charges Register officially transferred to HM Land Registry as part of the Infrastructure Act 2015 on 28 January 2026.
You can request an personal search through HM Land Registry's portal.
Timescales
We are currently processing searches received on the following dates:
- CON29s and optional enquiries: Returned within 10 working days
If you have any specific enquiries, please email us. This is monitored throughout office hours and you will receive a reply.
How much does it cost?
| Description | Fee | VAT |
|---|---|---|
| For each full CON29R enquiry (inc LLC1): (LLC1 not vatable) | £238.75 | £33.47 |
| CON29R | £200.80 | £33.47 |
| Optional check of planning and building control information | £32.20 | £5.37 |
| Copy of CON29R search result (not updated) | £51.40 | £8.57 |
| Separate LLC1 enquiry | £37.95 | N/A |
| For each additional parcel of land in the same transaction | £29.40 | £4.90 |
| Optional enquiries (per question) | £44.70 | £7.45 |
| Optional pre-submission application check | £33.70 | N/A |
| Expedition Fee | £395.00 | £65.83 |
| Administration fee/cancellation/rejection fee | 10% of fee paid | N/A |
| Additional CON29R questions (individual cost) | ||
| 1.1 A | £30.60 | £5.10 |
| 1.1B-I | £14.75 | £2.46 |
| 1.1J-L | £30.60 | £5.10 |
| 1.2 Public Info (copy) UDP Full Set | £57.50 | £9.58 |
| Individual Maps | £18.50 | £3.08 |
| 2.1 A-D, 2.2 | £14.75 | £2.46 |
| 3.1 - 3.3 | £14.75 | £2.46 |
| 3.4 D | £14.75 | £2.46 |
| 3.5 A-B (There are no planned railway developments) | N/A | N/A |
| 3.6 (A-L) | £14.75 | £2.46 |
| 3.7 A-G | £14.75 | £2.46 |
| 3.8 All | £30.60 | £5.10 |
| 3.9 (A-N) Tailored Report | £30.60 | £5.10 |
| 3.10 (A-H) Tailored Report | N/A | N/A |
| 3.11 A-B | £14.75 | £2.46 |
| 3.12 CP | £14.75 | £2.46 |
| 3.13 A-C | £14.75 | £2.46 |
| 3.15 ACV | N/A | N/A |
What if I change my mind?
The table below notes the data sets that are currently available to be viewed online.
| Data set Type | Originating Department & Contact Details | Where to Find & Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Common land (including town and village greens) | Local Land Charges - landcharges@sthelens.gov.uk | Note: Select the common land option within the historic environment map category |
| Planning permissions | Planning - planning@sthelens.gov.uk | For planning permissions post October 1995 these are available on the Planning Public Access system. For planning permissions between 1 August 1977 and September 1995 these are available on the Interactive mapping system. Note: this data set only includes approximately 66% of the data set. For planning permissions between these dates which are not included please contact Planning. Planning permissions that form part of the local land charges register are available via HM Land Registry's portal. |
| Enforcement notices | Planning - planning@sthelens.gov.uk | Enforcement notices issued between 1984 and October 2025 (which were not subsequently withdrawn, quashed on appeal, or later granted planning permission) are available on the Interactive mapping system Enforcement notices are also available on the Planning Public Access system. Enforcement notices that form part of the local land charges register are available via HM Land Registry's portal. |
| Conservation areas | Planning - planning@sthelens.gov.uk | Note: Select the conservation areas option within the historic environment map category Conservation areas that form part of the local land charges register are available via HM Land Registry's portal. |
| Article 4 directions | Planning - planning@sthelens.gov.uk | Older article 4 directions can be viewed via the below links.
Article 4 directions from 2023 onwards can be viewed on the Planning Public Access system. Article 4 directions that form part of the local land charges register are available via HM Land Registry's portal. |
| Tree preservation orders | Planning - planning@sthelens.gov.uk | Note: Select the TPO points, and TPO areas option within the tree preservation order map category Tree preservation orders that form part of the local land charges register are available via HM Land Registry's portal. |
| Hazardous substances | Planning - planning@sthelens.gov.uk | Details of hazardous substances post October 1995 are available on the Planning Public Access system. For details of hazardous substances pre-October 1995, please contact Planning. |
| Public rights of way | Highways - highways@sthelens.gov.uk | Note: Select the public rights of way option within the transport map category |
| Building regulation information | Building Control - buildingcontrol@sthelens.gov.uk | Building regulation information post 1999 can be viewed on the Building Control Public Access system. Building regulation information pre-1999 can be obtained by contacting Building Control. |
| Ancient monuments | Historic England | Note: Select the scheduled ancient monuments option within the historic environment map category Details of ancient monuments are also available via HM Land Registry's portal, and Historic England's website. |
| Listed Buildings | Historic England | Note: Select the listed buildings option within the historic environment map category Details of listed buildings are also available via HM Land Registry's portal, and Historic England's website. |
| Smoke control areas | Environmental Health - environmentalhealth@sthelens.gov.uk | Note: Select the smoke control areas option within the environment map category Details of smoke control orders are also available via HM Land Registry's portal. |
| Local nature reserves | Planning - planning@sthelens.gov.uk | Note: Select the local nature reserves option within the ecology map category This data is also available via HM Land Registry's portal. |
| Site of special scientific interest | Natural England - enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk | Note: Select the site of special scientific interest option within the ecology map category This data is also available via HM Land Registry's portal. |
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