Over 140 local authority Local Land Charges Officers who carry out land and property searches required for conveyancing transactions, attended the 13th Land Data Local Land Charges Awards for Excellence gala dinner, hosted by comedian Zoe Lyons.
The national awards recognise the work and achievements of Local Land Charges departments in England and Wales. More than 200 entries and nominations naming 73 local authorities were submitted by solicitors, licensed conveyancers, customer services experts and Local Land Charges Personnel. The finalists were drawn from a shortlist of 54 local authority teams and 9 individuals.
The Awards which are sponsored by the Local Land Charges Institute, SearchFlow, Coal Authority, Land Data and the National Land Information Service (NLIS), cover eight categories recognising customer satisfaction, best customer experience, most improved NLIS service, best NLIS Local Land Charges department, the Unsung Hero, the Digital Data Award and the Local Authority searches team of the year.
A winner and a highly commended for each category were chosen by a panel of judges from the Coal Authority, HM Land Registry, the Law Society, Land Data, the Local Land Charges Institute and the National Land Information Service (NLIS).
Jan Boothroyd, Land Data’s Chief Executive, commented: “The 2020 Local Land Charges Awards for Excellence was once again a huge success and provided an excellent forum to celebrate professional excellence. We had some very strong contenders this year, many demonstrating new ways of collaborating, embracing technology and being creative in how they offer added value to their customers. All the finalists are very worthy and deserving winners!”
The 2020 Award winners are:
- Customer Satisfaction Award for Local Authority Searches – sponsored by the Coal Authority
Winner: Westminster City Council
Highly commended: Arun District Council
- Most Improved NLIS Services – sponsored by Land Data
Winner: Test Valley Borough Council
Highly commended: Aylesbury Vale District Council
- Local Land Authority Searches Team of the Year – sponsored by the Local Land Charges Institute
Winner: Wealden District Council
Highly commended: London Borough of Havering
- Best Performing NLIS Level 3 Local Land Charges Department – sponsored by the National Land Information Service (NLIS)
Winner: City of York Council
Highly commended: Wakefield Metropolitan District Council
- Best Performing NLIS Level 2 Local Land Charges Department – sponsored by the National Land Information Service (NLIS)
Winner: London Borough of Bromley
Highly commended: London Borough of Lambeth
- Best Customer Experience Award – sponsored by SearchFlow
Winner: Arun District Council
Highly commended: London Borough of Havering
- The Unsung Hero Award – sponsored by the National Land Information Service (NLIS) Hub
Winner: Hayley Ayris, London Borough of Havering
Highly commended: Simon Brazil, Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
- The Digital Data Award – sponsored by Land Data
Winner: Mid Devon District Council
Highly commended: London Borough of Havering