Environmental Searches

Our Environmental Searches cover all of those likely to be required in a conveyancing transaction, or for detailed property information, and we are able to produce them very quickly; many are turned around the same day. Environment Searches are usually required when purchasing, selling or mortgaging a property.

Residential Searches

Common Land & Village Green Search

A Common Land Search is usually made on land that has never been built on or which at one time may have belonged to a Lord of the Manor, or a Town or Village Green. The Search may also be carried out on small vacant urban plots of land as these could be subject to common rights.

The search will provide details of 4 things:

• • Whether the land is registered as Common Land.
• • Ownership (where this is known).
• • Details of the commoner's rights.
• • Details of the common land, i.e. its precise location using mapping coordinates, land designation (SSSI, AONB, etc).

Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search

This is a search usually carried out by a person prior to or during the purchase of a property. It is a large document of about 40 pages, listing and detailing important information about the area around the property and the people living there.

It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime details, Local Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other Useful Information.

Flood Risk Report

Short Report - This is a short summary of the risk of flooding provided by the Environment Agency and collated by the Land Registry.

Long Report - The long Flood Risk Report contains illustrated official details of geographical and water features within 250 metres of the property and answers questions relating to nearby flood defences, non-defended flood areas and the risk of surface water flooding. All information is backed up by detailed maps showing nearby flood risk areas as they are now and as they may be in the future.

Drainage and Water Search

This search contains the standard Drainage & Water conveyancing enquiries and replies, a detailed drains and sewer plan and a detailed waterworks plan. A Water quality failure report is also included.

The routes of all drains in the search area are included and the different types of drains & sewers are colour coded, including foul sewer, surface water, rising mains, private sewers, unverified sewers and abandoned sewers. Trunk Mains, Distributions Mains, Untreated Water Mains, Company Service Pipes, Private Service Pipes & Abandoned Water Mains are also shown.

Coal Mining, Cheshire Brine Extraction and Ground Stability Search

Coal Mining:
Searches are carried out against land and property which may be situated in a traditional coal mining area. The search provides details of past, present and future underground and surface coal mining activity, shafts, adits and surface geology; plus past, present and future open cast coal mining and mine gas emissions. Details of damage claims, if any, following subsidence are also provided together with local authority notices served pursuant to subsidence risks and hazards.

Brine Extraction:
A search is made of the Cheshire Brine Subsidence Comnpensation Board (CBSCB), to identify if the property has been the subject of a claim for subsidence compensation damage caused by brine extraction.

Ground Stability:
The report also provides details of ground conditions where subsidence could occur as a result of shrinking clay, running sand, compressible deposits, landslides & soluble rocks. Information provided is backed up with location maps.

Radon Search (Radioactive Gas)

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas which decays into other radioactive substances, causing an increased risk of exposure to radiation. The main danger from high radon exposure is the increased risk of lung cancer.

This search is often carried out in areas of reputed high radon before buying a house.

The report consists of radon measurement statistics both within the local authority area and the immediate locality of the property, and provides an estimation of the probability of elevated levels of radon existing in the property itself.

Planning Search

Property values are highly dependent on their location. The value of properties can also be affected by the development of property around them and it is important to know what is currently happening and what is planned in the vicinity of your new home.

Civil Aviation Search

This search includes information on aviation activity, proposed developments, and alterations and changes to aviation activity that affect the property.

Limestone Search

This is a search to determine whether or not there is a risk of subsidence from old limestone workings due to mining. It can only be made with a Land Registry Title Plan, which we will obtain for you.

Gypsum Search

A Gypsum Search will reveal the proximity of mine workings near the property, when the mine was worked, the depth of workings and If there are any planning consents to carry out workings.

Contaminated Land Search

This search will provide an opinion as to the safety of the land and will determine whether the land falls within the definition of contaminated land within the meaning of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

It is used by customers buying a home or land as well as by professionals including solicitors and property developers.

The information contained within it is illustrated by detailed maps of the area, and it analyses Landfill Sites, Waste Transfer, Waste Treatment and Disposal, Pollution Control, Radioactive Substances, Hazardous Substances, Dangerous Substances, Control of Major Accident Hazards, Emissions to the air and Discharges to Water.

Chancel Search

This search determines whether or not the property is in a potential Chancel Repair Liability area. The search in fact determines if the property lies within the historical boundary of a tithe district or parish. It also provides insurance details and prices for use in the event that such a liability is determined.

If the property is near a church or on land that used to be owned by some of the older universities there may be an obligation to pay towards the repairs to the chancel of the local parish church.

Chancel Repair Liability affects millions of acres of property in England & Wales, and should be made when buying a property. A recent case in the Court of Appeal held that the potential liability for repair could extend into the hundreds of thousands of pounds - in that case the property owner was ordered to pay the sum of £256,000, with £250,000 extra to pay in legal costs.

Network Rail Search

This search provides details of Buried Services in the property area, including maps and data, Track Routing, Hazards, etc.

British Waterways Search

A search is made of British Waterways to ascertain if any riverbank work extends under, over or through the property, whether there are any rights affecting the property relating to the waterway, whether any liability for maintenance extends to the property owner and whether there are any notices, licences or consents served on the current or previous owners of the property.

Energy Performance Certificate

EPCs are commissioned from a panel of energy assessors who visit the property to collect the relevant data including the age, construction and location of the house and relevant fittings (e.g. heating systems, insulation or double glazing). EPCs tell you how energy efficient a home is on a scale of A-G as well as a potential rating if recommended energy saving measures are carried out. An EPC will also assess the impact the home has on the environment.

This is a National EPC and will cover residential properties with any number of bedrooms.

High Speed 2 Search

The High Speed 2 search provides confirmation as to whether a site is within 1000m of the proposed HS2 rail link and confirms the distance from the site to the proposed line.

The report includes the following information:

• • OS map highlighting the property and the line at a 1000m radius.
• • Larger scale OS map highlighting the property and the line at a 5000m radius.
• • The distance and direction of the nearest features within a 5000m radius including where the line is proposed to be at ground level, above ground level (viaducts), below ground level (cutting/retaining wall), and underground level (tunnel/green tunnel) including expected maximum speeds.

Local Land Charges Personal Search

This is the same as the foregoing search, save that the data is collected by a personal search agent rather than by the local authority itself. As such it does not carry the local authority's indemnity in the event of an incorrect answer and does not contain their official stamp that is approved and recognised by the Law Society. It is, however, considerably cheaper to purchase, quicker to obtain and usually the search of choice by most conveyancers.