Land Registry held the first Local Land Charges (LLC) National Conference this week on Wednesday 4th November at the Albert Hall Conference Centre in Nottingham. The purpose of the day was to ensure the local authority and private search company delegates were provided with information on how Land Registry are intending to work with the profession to develop a new service offering.
The Master of Ceremony (MC) for the event was Rob Brown, founder of the Networking Coaching Academy, and the day was packed with valuable details on the LLC Programme and Land Registry digital services, as well as plenary sessions with both suppliers and LLC stakeholders.
Some of the additions that are set to be introduced include electronic signatures which are expected to be introduced in March 2016, with security of a counter fraud system put in place.
The main topic of focus was surrounding the plan for Land Registry to provide a single, centralised LLC register where all applications will be digital. The system will therefore be available from any location, 24 hours a day will also utilise map data at its core, from which all charges will be identifiable.
Visits have been made by Land Registry representatives to districts across the country and current systems have been inspected to determine the level of the work required for the changes to be effective. The initial budget is said to have been over estimated, as many more local authorities have already become digitised than was first expected.
Changes to the system will not take place until late 2017, when migration is expected to begin. There is no confirmation as yet, however local authorities within the London districts are likely to be the starting point, with other regions to follow. It has been suggested Land Registry will begin with smaller local authorities, then completing the process with the larger and more complex regions. Wales, however is currently excluded from the migration process at present. Further details on the commencement of the migration are due to be released early 2016.
The whole process is expected to be complete by July 2023.
Local authorities will continue to provide CON29 searches alongside the new system. There was speculation by delegates that there is however the potential for Land Registry to monopolise the market and become a one-stop-shop for conveyancing, by providing all information required on a property or land. If this was to occur, delegates were concerned it is likely many roles within the local authorities will become redundant. It was thought by some that there would also be detail missed that only knowledgeable and established local authorities would know. Would you prefer to just use a single entity for all data? Would you be concerned about the accuracy and scope of the information provided?
Let us know your thoughts on this in the comment section below and stay tuned for further details on the new register.
