NLIS Key To Faster Conveyancing Searches

NLIS TECHNOLOGY KEY TO FASTER CONVEYANCING SEARCHES
NEW AVERAGE TURNAROUND TIME FOR LOCAL AUTHORITY SEARCH IS 3.6 DAYS

Local Authority (LA) performance data from Land Data reveals the national average turnaround for an electronic LA property search has improved by just under half a day, since the last survey was conducted in August 2008, to just over 3.5 days. The average fees charged for property searches remains at £117.

Instead of submitting numerous and separate search requests in writing, a process which can be labour intensive and time consuming, conveyancers can purchase searches online via an NLIS channel. Search products are supplied by local authorities, the Land Registry, the Coal Authority and water authorities. With just under 15,000 solicitors and conveyancers subscribing to NLIS channels and 410 Local Authorities deploying the software, NLIS is the leader in the provision of electronic property searches from Local Authorities, and is a major contributor in helping to streamline the home-buying process.

As at of the end of November this year, 16.3 million searches have passed through NLIS and at its peak it was turning around 78,000 searches per week.

In some areas turnaround times of electronic searches have improved, with 11 LAs delivering results in less than 1 day (10 in the previous survey) and 34 taking between 1 and 2 days (27). There has been a 75% reduction in LAs which take 10 days or more to process a search.

Land Data CEO Alex Fraser commented: “It is encouraging to see that NLIS searches are making an impact on streamlining the home buying/selling process and are being embraced by such a large percentage of conveyancing professionals across the UK. It is in the interest of consumers that land and property information is delivered accurately and as quickly as possible.”
The new performance tables reveal the lowest fee charged for a combined Con29R and LLC1 search in November 2008, was just £40 charged by Wakefield Metropolitan District Council. The highest was £286 charged by Barnet London Borough Council. 17 of the 410 LAs surveyed charge more than £200 and 49 charge less than £90 which is an improvement on last quarter, where 46 charged less than £90.

Analysis of data over the last 6 months reveals Lewisham London Borough Council continues to feature as a top performer reducing its fee by £85 over the period. The biggest fee increase over the same period came from Surrey Heath Borough Council with an increase of 65%. Hillingdon London Borough Council demonstrated an excellent improvement of over 90% in reducing its turnaround time of NLIS electronic searches, while Tamworth Borough Council has increased its turnaround by an average of 9.27 days.

The performance tables reveal:
• The LAs to have reduced their fees by the greatest amount over the last 6 months are Lewisham London Borough, Aylesbury Vale District, Bury Borough, Bristol City, and Sunderland City Council.
• The LAs to have made the most significant reduction in turnaround times over the last 6 months are Hillingdon London Borough, North East Derbyshire District, West Lindsey District, Preston Borough and Breckland District Council.
• The LAs that have increased fees over the last 6 months are Surrey Heath Borough, Tandridge District, Maidstone Borough, Isles of Scilly and Cotswold District Council.
• The LAs which have increased turnaround times over the last 6 months are Tamworth Borough, Harrogate Borough, South Lakeland District Council (Outside National Parks), Sedgefield Borough Council and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council.
• In November 2008, the slowest return of an electronic search was Tamworth Borough Council which took 16 days and the fastest was Wakefield Metropolitan District Council which took 0.17 days.

The 10 Lowest Over the Counter (OTC) Residential Search Fees(Con29R + LLC1) in November ‘08

Local Authority OTC Fee (CON29R + LLC1) £s
Wakefield Metropolitan District Council 40
Hambleton District Council 45
Portsmouth City Council 50
Wellingborough Borough Council 57.5
Exeter City Council 63
Lewisham London Borough Council 65
Medway Council 70
City & County of Swansea 70.5
Caerphilly County Borough Council 71
Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council 74

The 10 Fastest NLIS electronic search turnaround times in November ’08 based on returning 10 or more searches in the month

Local Authority Average Turnaround (days)
Wakefield Metropolitan District Council 0.17
Windsor & Maidenhead Royal Borough Council 0.36
South Gloucestershire Council 0.37
Bromley London Borough Council 0.47
Dartford Borough Council 0.61
Chiltern District Council 0.64
Enfield London Borough Council 0.68
Northampton Borough Council 0.80
Poole Borough Council 0.84
Crewe & Nantwich Borough Council 0.90

The 10 Highest Over the Counter (OTC) Residential Search Fees in November ‘08

Local Authority OTC Fee (CON29R + LLC1) £s
Barnet London Borough Council 286
Lambeth London Borough Council 275
Kensington & Chelsea Royal London Borough Council 257.5
Hammersmith & Fulham London Borough Council 247
Woking Borough Council 246.15
Runnymede Borough Council 240
Ealing London Borough Council 235
Wandsworth London Borough Council 233
Tandridge District Council 224
Waltham Forest London Borough Council 220

The 10 Slowest NLIS electronic search turnaround response times in November ’08 based on returning 10 or more searches in the month

Local Authority Average Turnaround (days)
Tamworth Borough Council 16.04
Harrogate Borough Council 14.17
Easington District Council 9.73
Salford City Council 7.84
Shepway District Council 6.82
Sedgemoor District Council 6.68
Vale Royal Borough Council 6.26
Gwynedd Council 6.24
Sedgefield Borough Council 6.20
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council 6.01

The data is sourced from the National Land Information Service (NLIS) Hub and is drawn from figures supplied over a 4 week period in November 2008.

All the statistics are based on residential searches. The performance tables can be viewed at www.land-data.org.uk

For further information please contact:
Fiona BarronJustin Scott at Land Data
Tel: 07770 855337 / 020 3043 8875
Email:fiona.barron@land-data.org.uk /justin.scott@land-data.org.uk
www.land-data.org.uk

Notes to Editors

Land Data manages NLIS, which was set up to support local authorities (LAs) and other property information holders in England and Wales in their move from manual to electronic provision of property information services. Through the NLIS hub, users can access information from 410 Local Authorities, national parks, Land Registry, the Coal Authority and water companies, in an electronic format. Land Data became a Community Interest Company in January 2006 in recognition of its commitment to making electronic property search information accessible to the general public and thereby improving the home buying process.