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Search Turnaround Timescales
Keep up to date with all the Local Authority Search Turnaround timescales and understand the impact that they may have on your purchase / sale transaction. On average a conveyancer will take 6.2 weeks* to place an order for searches so you will soon see how much difference you can make by placing an order yourself at the start of your purchase transaction. Just make sure that the seller is definitely committed to sell to you.
Get the timescales sent to your email inbox every other Tuesday by subscribing using the link below.
*stated by the conveyancing association.
Developing Issues and delay updates updated 24th Sept
Council Area | Return Timescales | Reasons for delay |
|---|---|---|
Amber Valley | 25 | Delays for Land Charges |
Blaenau Gwent | 20 | Delays for Building Control |
Bournemouth | 15 | Delays for Land Charges (dealing with backlog - improving) |
Breckland | 35 | Delays for Land Charges & Building Control |
Christchurch | 20 | Delays for Land Charges (dealing with backlog - improving) |
Colchester | 25 | Delays in processing Land Charges (both Official and Personal searches) - dealing with backlog |
Cotswolds | 20 | Due to current workloads and a significant increase in applications, processing times may be longer than usual for Land Charges |
Derby | 30 | The week commencing 8th September will be the last week that appointments can be made for the personal search service. Land Charges transferring to HMLR. The final date for transferring to HMLR has yet to be finalised. |
East Staffordshire | 15 | The Planning and Local Land Charges Team are implementing a new IT system from October. This means there will be delays in the service between 18th September and 8th October. |
Forest of Dean | 10 | Delays for Land Charges due to current workloads and a significant increase in applications, processing times may be longer than usual |
Gwynedd | 25 | Delays for Building Control |
LB Camden | 30 | Delays for Land Charges (dealing with backlog - improving slowly) |
LB Greenwich | 20 | Delays for Land Charges |
Neath Port Talbot | 20 | Delays for Building Control (Situation improving slowly) |
Newcastle upon Tyne | 25 - 30 | Large backlog causing delays following system upgrade. Advised that due to annual leave no searches will be processed between 13 and 20 October |
North East Derbyshire | 25 | Delays for Land Charges |
Plymouth | 20 - 22 | Building Control EIR is now coming back quicker than the paid for version |
Poole | 15 | Delays for Land Charges (dealing with backlog - improving) |
Sheffield City | 15 | Delays for Land Charges |
Stoke | 20 | Delays for Land Charges (short staffed/ busy) |
Swindon | 18 | Delays for Land Charges & Building Control |
Test Valley | 30 | Delays for Land Charges |
Tunbridge Wells | 15 | Delays for Land Charges due to implementation of new computer system; large volumes of search requests and staffing levels |
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