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Shortlists for top Local Land Charges teams in England and Wales announced

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Land DataBy Legal Futures Associate Land Data [1]

Local Land Charges (LLC) teams have been recognised in 9 shortlists for the annual Land Data Local Land Charges Awards for Excellence [2], the only awards to recognise outstanding performance in the profession. The winning and highly commended local authorities will be announced on the 11th and 12th March at the virtual Local Land Charges Training and Development Event 2025 [3].

The awards celebrate a range of performance areas and skill sets, from Local Authority Searches Team of the Year, which is entered online by LLC teams themselves and assessed by the awards judging panel, to the new Best Migrated Local Authority which is judged by HM Land Registry using live data from its platform.

Fiona Barron, Land Data’s Chief Executive, and one of the award judges said:

“I’m delighted to celebrate Local Land Charges teams with these awards for excellence.  They have an essential role in the home buying and selling process, maintaining and managing the information consumers and lenders rely on to make the right home buying decisions. The Official Searches they produce carry the highest levels of assurance and come with a Certificate of Search, a government guarantee. Highlighting the value and achievements of these expert teams is important for their own profile and morale, and for the wider conveyancing searches sector.” 

THE SHORTLISTS

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL LOCAL AUTHORITIES HAVE BEEN LISTED ALPHABETICALLY

Best Migrated Local Authority – supported by HM Land Registry

This award is for Local Authorities who have already migrated their Local Land Charges Register to HM Land Registry. It celebrates outstanding management of the Register and good communication with HM Land Registry, helping property buyers to achieve the best outcomes. The judges use live data from the HM Land Registry platform to rank LLC departments based on key performance criteria, including time taken to register new charges and accuracy of entries. The judges analysed data from Local Authorities who have been in live service for at least 6 months, during the period 1st February 2024 – 31st January 2025.

Best Performing Searches Team Member – supported by SearchFlow

This award recognises outstanding staff members who have gone above and beyond expectations, showing diligence, creativity, proactivity and great teamworking skills.

Customer Satisfaction Award for Local Authority Searches – supported by The Mining Remediation Authority. 

For this category, there are three separate awards – one for District Councils, one for Metropolitan Councils, and one for London Boroughs. Land Data asks solicitors, licensed conveyancers and personal search companies to nominate and provide feedback on the Local Authority LLC teams that they believe are committed to delivering a consistently high level of customer service. Voters are asked to consider quality, efficiency, reliability and value for money. Search accuracy and overdue searches are also considered.

Best in District Councils

Best in Metropolitan Borough Councils

Best in London Borough Councils 

Local Authority Searches Team of the Year – supported by the Local Land Charges Institute.

This team Award recognises the hard work and dedication made by Local Land Charges teams. The criteria focus on how teams have worked collaboratively to overcome challenges, become more efficient, and deliver excellent customer service.

The Unsung Hero Award – supported by the National Land Information Service (NLIS) Hub.

The Unsung Hero Award is voted for by the NLIS Hub helpdesk team who nominates an individual or a team that they feel consistently makes an extra effort to work with them to make the search process as seamless as possible. The helpdesk team will give examples of how the Local Land Charges team (or a person within the team) shines and impresses them.

Best Performing NLIS Level 2 Local Land Charges Department – supported by the National Land Information Service (NLIS).

This award category recognises the best performing Local Land Charges Department operating at NLIS level 2, between October 1st 2023, and September 30th 2024. Judges use NLIS Hub data to determine electronic turnaround times, the level of overdue searches, search accuracy and volumes, which are weighted against transactional volumes for the authority’s area.

Best Performing NLIS Level 3 Local Land Charges Department – supported by the National Land Information Service (NLIS).

This award category recognises the best performing Local Land Charges Department operating at NLIS level 3, between October 1st 2023 and September 30th 2024. Judges use NLIS Hub data to determine electronic turnaround times, the level of overdue searches, search accuracy and volumes, which are weighted against transactional volumes for the authority’s area.