HM Land Registry’s digital Local Land Charges Register continues to grow, enabling the digital transformation of homebuying.

From today (Friday 26 June), anyone requiring local land charges (LLC) searches in the local authority area of East Lindsey District Council will need to get them from HM Land Registry rather than going directly to the council.

Jade Dicrosta, Senior Local Land Charges Officer at East Lindsey District Council, said:

Most of our local land charges data was held in paper and digital formats. With HM Land Registry’s support, we were able to update and enhance over 70,000 local land charges before migrating the data to the central online LLC Register, despite the challenges of lockdown. We are pleased to have completed this migration while working remotely thanks to the fantastic efforts of both East Lindsey and HM Land Registry staff.

East Lindsey District Council is proud to be helping our citizens by improving the home buying process across our district at such a crucial time.

Karina Singh, Director of Transformation at HM Land Registry, said:

In migrating East Lindsey’s local land charges to the national register during this lockdown period, we have underlined our commitment to delivering this pioneering digital service. I’m proud that our successful collaboration has resulted in local land charges search results being instantly available in the East Lindsey area, which will help the recovery of the local property market.

Local land charges searches are normally required in the property-buying process. Most local land charges are restrictions or prohibitions on the use of the property such as planning permissions or listed buildings. The local land charges search will reveal whether a property is subject to a charge which then informs a buyer’s decision to buy a property or parcel of land.

HM Land Registry is working in partnership with a number of local authorities in England to migrate their Local Land Charges data to a central, digital register as part of a phased approach. Once migrated, anyone will be able to get instant online search results via GOV.UK using the Search for Local Land Charges service.

HM Land Registry’s business customers can use their existing portal and Business Gateway channels or their usual search providers to access Local Land Charges data for those local authorities which have migrated.

Customers will need to continue to submit CON29 enquiries to the local authority.

Watch our short video for an overview of the service.

For more information, read about the Local Land Charges Programme.

Two officers based at Dounreay received prestigious awards from Chief Constable Simon Chesterman this week in recognition of their long service and good conduct.

Supt Andy Peden, who is Operational Unit Commander (OUC) at Dounreay, received a Certificate of Service, having joined us in 1980. PC Brian Watson received the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal for 21 years’ service, having joined in July 1999 and served 21 years.

Andy joined the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, formerly the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary (UKAEAC) at Sellafield in 1980 as a PC. During his time with the Constabulary, he served on the road escort team and marine escort team (now Strategic Escort Group), travelling on operations as far afield as Japan, and was part of the first rapid intervention team, before being promoted to Inspector and moving to Capenhurst in 2000.

While at Capenhurst, Andy took over as temporary force firearms officer for a year and was instrumental in getting us our first ever firearms license. He was promoted to Chief Inspector in Ops Support in 2008 and covered a wide portfolio area, including the drafting of our first ever STRA. In 2012 he was temporarily promoted to Superintendent for ops support and S Division for a year and took up his current posting as the OUC for Dounreay in July 2019.

During his time with the Constabulary, he has received commendations for his role in our first Op Temperer deployment and for his work creating the Operational Improvement Unit and improving deployability up to highs of 95 per cent.

PC Brian Watson joined on 5th July 1999 on Initial Recruits Course 158, earning the Endeavour Award. He was then posted to Dounreay and in 2001 he became a General Purpose (GP) Police Dog Handler partnered with Police Dog Jack, a white German Shephard.

Brian has continued in this role ever since and has successfully completed training courses with a number of General Purpose and Explosives Search Detection Dogs, which is a testament to his dedication and excellent dog handling skills. Over the years he has been privileged enough to work with several dogs, including Bailey, a German Shepherd GP Police Dog and Alfie an English Springer Spaniel and Explosives Search Detection Dog who worked up until his well-earned retirement at 12 years old. He currently handles Dio, a Belgian Malinois GP Police Dog and Labrador Mindy, an Explosives Search Detection Dog. Over the years Brian has supported the puppy walking programme, initially with Sammy, who went on to become an Explosives Search Detection Dog and now has the responsibility for preparing trainee Police Dog Jaxx, a Belgian Malinois for his Initial GP Course later this year.

Chief Constable Simon Chesterman said: “It was a privilege to reward these two long serving and dedicated police officers. During their time with the CNC and UKAEAC they have both specialised in their chosen fields and had long and satisfying careers as a result.

“It was good to be able to thank them personally for their service and I greatly enjoyed meeting Police Dog Dio. It shows that the CNC offers so many opportunities and rewards for those who want a varied and challenging role protecting critical national infrastructure.”

If you are interested in finding out more about a career with the CNC, then visit CNC Jobs to find out more about joining us.

The Environment Agency has removed most of the construction areas from the town and the road along the seafront is now open. The Environment Agency’s schedule includes a summer break to protect tourism in the area.

Work on the project, which was identified by government as critical infrastructure, has continued in line with the government’s coronavirus (COVID-19) advice with measures in place to ensure social distancing and safe working procedures on site. This has allowed the team to reach this milestone as planned.

Once complete in 2021, the scheme will reduce the risk of tidal flooding to over 1,400 residential and 400 commercial properties. Construction work started in June 2019 and covers 3 distinct areas:

• On the estuary side a wall approximately 660m long has been built from the boatyard to the Imperial Recreation Ground. Contractors worked during low tides to repair the revetment from the nature reserve to the Estuary View car park. A large area of the nature reserve was cleared of vegetation to create a continuous flood defence embankment which will be seeded this autumn.

• At Camperdown Creek new gabions, large metal baskets filled with stone, have been replaced with new. Sheet piled defences clad with recycled hardwood timber were installed by the Sea Cadets and foundations have been built for 3 flood gates.

• The Esplanade area from The Grove Pub, including Morton Crescent and the Imperial Hotel has had new defences built. This work included a combination of flood walls, new drainage, wall strengthening, rock armour installation and landscaping.

Environment Agency Flood Manager, Ben Johnstone said:

We are now one step closer to a finished tidal defence scheme for the people of Exmouth. I am extremely proud of the team who have worked so hard to keep this vital work on track whilst adhering to government guidance on coronavirus.

I would also like to thank residents for their understanding and co-operation which has helped us get to this point. A lot has been achieved this year and I look forward to the next phase.

East Devon District Council is also contributing to the project, and will maintain the defences built on council-owned land in the future.

Cllr Geoff Jung, Coast, Countryside and Environment Portfolio Holder for East Devon District Council, said:

• I would like to thank the contractors Kier and the Environment Agency for continuing this important project at this most difficult of times. This scheme, once completed, will provide the many residents of Exmouth extra protection from coastal flooding.

Exmouth Town ward members for the district council, Cllr Olly Davey, Cllr Joe Whibley and Cllr Eileen Wragg said:

With more than two thirds of the scheme completed, thanks to the works continuing by Kier and the Environment Agency throughout the current crisis, Exmouth will have much better protection ahead of the winter storms.

When the Environment Agency contractors, Kier, return to site later in the year they will start at Alexandra Terrace junction with associated highways improvements, floodgate installation, landscaping and planting. The whole project is due for completion in 2021.