The local land charges service is responsible for maintaining the land charges register and for carrying out local authority searches.
Why are Land Searches Necessary?
The most common reason for requesting a land search is moving house. Most people use a solicitor to help them with the process of moving house and usually your solicitor will arrange your land search.
It is important to request a land search because it will tell you about possible restrictions or issues affecting your new home, for example:
Your property might be in a conservation area and therefore subject to restrictions that would make any development or extension impossible.
You might have a public footpath or right of way running through your garden.
There might be a nearby planning application that would concern you.
You might have a protected tree that you can't cut down in your garden.
The land charges team gathers information about the land or property specified in the search request from different council departments, such as highways and planning. The results of this search are normally returned in five or six days. Drainage search enquiries go to Southern Water.
You can find out how to apply for a land search and about fees and charges in this section.
You are in: www.eastbourne.gov.uk/landcharges
