Agenda Item No. 8
Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
Report to the Cabinet Member for Corporate Services
21st January 2003
Local Land Charges Search Fees
1. Summary
Statement
1.1. Under Section 3 of the Local Land Charges Act 1975 the Council
is required to maintain a local land charges register, in which are
registered certain charges against land in the borough. Official
searches of the register (usually by potential buyers or sellers of
land and property) may be made under Section 9 of the Act, for
which a fee is charged.
1.2. This report seeks approval with effect from 1st April 2003 to an
increase of £10.00 in the basic Local Land Charges search fee.
Further details are attached for your information.
2. Recommendation
2.1. That the Local Land Charges Search Fees charged by the Council
be increased by £10.00 for a basic search with effect from 1st April
2003.
In accordance with the authority delegated to the Cabinet Member for
Corporate Services, the following course of action has been agreed,
which will be set out in the formal record of the decisions taken by the
Member:
(1)
the recommendation(s) above is/are approved.
(2)
the recommendation(s) above is/are approved as now
amended.
(3)
the recommendations above are not approved.
_________________________________
Cabinet Member for Corporate Services
Date 21st January 2003
S
J
Cork
Lynda
Bateman
Head of Legal & Democratic
Head of Sandwell Business
Services
Contact Officer
Judith Buggins
Electoral Services & Land Charges Manager
0121 569 3240
Local Land Charges Search Fees
3. Resource
Implications
3.1. Based on the average number of searches per annum over the
last 10 years, the proposed increase in fees would yield an
additional income of £75,000 in the next financial year.
3.2. This figure could, however, be reduced according to the number of
searches carried out through the NLIS Hub referred to below.
3.3. The above forecasts are also dependent upon the continuing
buoyancy of the housing market.
4. Policy
Implications
Under Section 3 of the Local Land Charges Act 1975 the Council
is required to maintain a local land charges register, in which are
registered certain charges against land in the borough. Official
searches of the register (usually by potential buyers or sellers of
land and property) may be made under Section 9 of the Act, for
which a fee is charged
5. Sustainability
Implications
The Council is committed to the principles of sustainability and to
developing a sustainable Sandwell. This report, however, has no
detrimental implications to the policies.
6.
Crime & Disorder Implications
The requirement to provide a local land charges register supports
the Council’s policies in relation to Crime and Disorder.
7.
Implications for Young People
The proposals contained in this report will have no adverse effect
on young people.
Local Land Charges Search Fees
8. Background
Details
8.1. The fee currently charged for a basic search of residential
premises is £95.00 and of non-residential premises £135.00.
Charges made by other West Midlands metropolitan authorities
are:-
Authority
Residential
Non-Residential
Birmingham £132.00
£132.00
Coventry £115.00
£115.00
Dudley £80.00
£80.00
Solihull £135.00
£160.00
Walsall £118.50
£150.00
Wolverhampton £77.00 £77.00
These figures do not include any increases planned for 2003/04.
8.2. In accordance with the Government’s e-government agenda, the
Council has taken steps towards achieving the provision of an
electronic search facility. The Council has advanced to Level 2 of
the National Land Information System (NLIS). This enables
searchers to submit searches electronically through the NLIS Hub.
For this facility the channel provider receives 6% of the fee and the
Hub 12%, leaving 82% for the Council. During the period from
January to November 2002 6% of searches were submitted in this
way, although the figure is around 12% for the last two months of
that period. We have an agreement that, at present, no more than
20% of searches will be dealt with electronically. If this figure were
reached there would be a loss of income to the Council of £21,000.
8.3. All Councils will be expected to deliver a fully electronic land
charges service by April 2005 and the current initiative puts the
Council in a good position to achieve this.
8.4. There is a need to increase fees this year due to the NLIS project
referred to above and changes to the Land Charges Search forms,
which will lead to higher recharges from the Planning &
Development Services and Highways Direct Divisions.
Source Documents
None
H:\WPWIN61\RHICKMAN\SCork\Land Charges (XLC)\Local Land Charges Search Fees_210103.doc
Document Outline
