Personal Searches

Covid-19 (Coronavirus) update

Due to the ongoing impact of Covid-19 (Coronavirus) on our services, we have amended Personal Search procedures to remove the need to visit our offices. If you wish to do a personal search on a property in Hastings borough, please complete a search request form and send it to us at landcharges@hastings.gov.uk. We will collect payment for any CON29 information requested by telephone and email the information requested to you.

What is a Personal Search?

This is an inspection of the Local Land Charges Register held at Muriel Matters House. 

Please note that a Personal Search does not provide all the information given on a full (LLC1 and CON29R) search.  It is the responsibility of the person carrying out the Personal Search to identify the land/property and to make any note of information held on the Register.

Opening Times

The Local Land Charges Register is available by appointment at Muriel Matters House to persons wishing to carry out a Personal Search at the following times:

• Monday to Friday: 9am to 4.30pm

To make an appointment to view the register, please send a completed personal search request form and plan of the site to be searched for each property to landcharges@hastings.gov.uk stating your preferred date. 

Before you book your search

We advise you to look at the Council Tax and Business Rates lists at www.voa.gov.uk before booking your search especially in respect of flats and businesses. 

This may prevent further clarification being sought and will ensure that the correct information is made available to you.

Personal Search Request Forms

• Personal Search Request Form (.pdf)
• Personal Search Request Form (.doc)

You can access information to answer CON29R questions in the following ways:

Planning decisions and pending applications

The Planning Register is available to view on our website.

Alternatively, for a fee, we can undertake the research work on your behalf and provide an official printed response.
To request this service please use the personal search request form.

Building Regulations decisions and pending applications

The Building Control function is a shared service managed by the East Sussex Building Control Partnership.

Building Control records can be viewed online on the Wealden District Council website.

Alternatively, for a fee, we can undertake the research work on your behalf and provide an official printed response.
To request this service, please use the personal search request form.

Building Regulations Completion Certificates

The Building Control function is a shared service managed by the East Sussex Building Control Partnership.

Building Control records can be viewed online on the Wealden District Council website.

Alternatively, for a fee, we can undertake the research work on your behalf and provide an official printed response.
To request this service, please use the personal search request form.

Building Regulations Competent Persons Self-Certification Scheme

The Building Control function is a shared service managed by the East Sussex Building Control Partnership.

Building Control records can be viewed online on the Wealden District Council website.

Alternatively, for a fee, we can undertake the research work on your behalf and provide an official printed response.
To request this service, please use the personal search request form.

Please note, the Council does not issue and is not provided with copies of certificates or notices issued in respect of work carried out under Competent Person (self-certification) Schemes. The owner or occupier of the property should hold such certificates.

Planning Designations and Proposals

The Hastings Local Plan 2011-2028 can be viewed on our website including a mapping tool to view the location of relevant policies.

The Waste and Minerals Plan for East Sussex can be viewed on the East Sussex County Council website.

Roads and public Rights of way

This information is held by the Highway Land Information Team at East Sussex County Council.

Land Required for Public Purposes

This information is held in a system which is not available for public inspection however a response will be given, specific to the required property, should a request be made to view it under Environmental Information Regulations. Such requests should be emailed to landcharges@hastings.gov.uk.

Alternatively, for a fee, we can undertake the research work on your behalf and provide an official printed response.
To request this service, please use the personal search request form.

Land to be acquired for Road Works

This information is held by the Highway Land Information Team at East Sussex County Council.

Drainage Matters

Customers are currently advised to review individual planning applications in the Planning Register to establish if there is a Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SuDS) in place for each property.

Customers should also contact Southern Water.

Nearby road schemes

This information is held by the Highway Land Information Team at East Sussex County Council.

Nearby railway schemes

This information is held by the Highway Land Information Team at East Sussex County Council.

Traffic schemes

This information is held by the Highway Land Information Team at East Sussex County Council.

Outstanding notices - environment, health and safety, public health

This information is held in a system which is not available for public inspection however a response will be given, specific to the required property, should a request be made to view it under Environmental Information Regulations.
Such requests should be emailed to landcharges@hastings.gov.uk.

Alternatively, for a fee, we can undertake the research work on your behalf and provide an official printed response.
To request this service, please use the personal search request form.

Outstanding notices - building works

Hastings Borough Council is unable to provide this information.
Contact East Sussex Building Control Partnership for further information.

Outstanding notices - highways, flood and coastal erosion risk management

This information is held by the Highway Land Information Team at East Sussex County Council.

Contravention of Building Regulations

To view this information please contact the East Sussex Building Control Partnership.

Alternatively, for a fee, we can undertake the research work on your behalf and provide an official printed response.
To request this service, please use the personal search request form.

Notices, orders, directions and proceedings under Planning Acts

Notices that have been served, made or commenced will be held either on the Local Land Register, the Planning Register or the Enforcement Register for notices served after 2001.

All properties in Hastings Borough are covered by an Article 4 Direction in relation to Houses in Multiple Occupation.

Other Article 4 Directions and Painting Restrictions are listed on our Conservation page.

Tree Preservation Order that have been made but not confirmed can be found on our Tree Preservation Orders page.

Planning contravention notices are not shown on the Enforcement Register and therefore this information is not available for public inspection however a response will be given to Q3.9(e), specific to the required property, should a request be made to view it under Environmental Information Regulations.  Such requests should be emailed to landcharges@hastings.gov.uk.

Please note that on the Enforcement Register applications with a TCA prefix are also visible. These are applications for works to trees in a Conservation Area and are NOT Enforcement notices and do not fall under Q3.9 of the Con29.

Enforcement Notices that have been closed are also included on the Enforcement Register - if the notice has been closed the reason for this can be found on the summary page for the notice.

Please note that none of these registers will hold information with regard to notices that we have decided to issue, serve, make or commence but have not actually done so yet. For this reason it is recommended that you do not rely solely on inspecting the above registers to reply to this question. This information can be purchased using the personal search request form.

Community Infrastructure Levy

Hastings Borough Council does not impose a Community Infrastructure Levy on any properties within the borough.

Conservation Areas

The following Conservation Areas were designated before 31 August 1974:

Old Town
Burtons' St Leonards
Blacklands

A list of the properties contained within these areas can be found in our Conservation Area pages.

Alternatively, for a fee, we can undertake the research work on your behalf and provide an official printed response.
To request this service, please use the personal search request form.

Compulsory Purchase Orders

This information is held in a system which is not available for public inspection however a response will be given, specific to the required property, should a request be made to view it under Environmental Information Regulations.
Such requests should be emailed to landcharges@hastings.gov.uk.

Alternatively, for a fee, we can undertake the research work on your behalf and provide an official printed response.
To request this service, please use the personal search request form.

Contaminated Land

This information is held in a system which is not available for public inspection however a response will be given, specific to the required property, should a request be made to view it under Environmental Information Regulations.
Such requests should be emailed to landcharges@hastings.gov.uk.

Alternatively, for a fee, we can undertake the research work on your behalf and provide an official printed response.
To request this service, please use the personal search request form.

Radon Gas

This information can be obtained from www.ukradon.org

Alternatively, for a fee, we can undertake the research work on your behalf and provide an official printed response.
To request this service, please use the personal search request form.

Assets of Community Value

The Community Right to Bid register and related information can be found on our website.

CON29O: Optional enquiries

Standard optional enquiries can be requested using the personal search request form.

Box C enquiries

Hastings Borough Council is unable to provide this information. Highways and rights of way enquires are dealt with by East Sussex County Council – Highway Land Information Team.

Additional Enquiries

Further additional enquiries can be requested using the personal search request form.