The Council has a computerised system of large scale ordnance survey maps showing the boundaries of all land owned by the Council.

• Can you tell me whether the land next to my house is Council Owned?
• What if I want to know who owns private property?
• What information do I need to give you before you can tell me whether the Council owns a particular property or area of land?
• Is there a charge for this information?
• How long will it take you to find out the information I have requested?

Can you tell me whether the land next to my house is Council owned?

Yes, this can be obtained one of two ways. The easiest way is to use the Search - Council Land and Premises facility on our electronic mapping system. Council owned land is shown yellow with red edging. The other way is to contact us direct, you will need to provided the precise location of the land concerned (see below for information we need in order to help you)

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What if I want to know who owns private property?

Please contact the Land Registry on 01752 636000 to obtain the relevant enquiry form, or visit the Land Registry website. (There will be a charge made for this service please refer to their terms and conditions of use) NB the Land Registry will be unable to assist you if it turns out that the land concerned is unregistered, in which case you may wish to make enquiries locally with neighbours. Alternatively, if the land is subject to development proposals Planning Services will be able to provide information on recent planning applications received.

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What information do I need to give you before you can tell me whether the Council owns a particular property or area of land?

We need to know the boundaries of the land in question and if possible the full postal address. The boundaries are often difficult to describe precisely over the telephone without looking together at a detailed map (which can be arranged for personal visitors). We should be able to tell from a telephone enquiry whether the Council owns land nearby, but for a more precise answer, a plan showing the exact boundaries of the land can be submitted by fax or post (see contact details).

For land or property with a postal address or which can be described accurately without a detailed plan, enquiries may be submitted online via our e-mail address.  NB: please include your email address if available.

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Is there a charge for this information?

Not at present. However, dependent upon the future demand for this service, the Council may consider introducing a charge to offset the administrative costs.

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How long will it take you to find out the information I have requested?

Again, this will be dependent upon demand and also upon the need for a detailed plan to be submitted to the Council. If the level of enquiries remains manageable, and provided all necessary details have been provided to us, then a telephone response can normally be given within one working day. In certain cases, depending on the complexity of land ownership in the area, reference to the Council's deeds may be required in which case the enquiry may take longer and there may be a charge for this levied by the Council's Legal Services.

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To view any published Related Documents for this service you will require the appropriate software. To download this software please see our documents help page. All links to documents will open in a new window. To request documents and files in an alternative format please contact us using the contact information provided on this page.