Council land and premises
Can you tell me if the land or premises next to my house is Council owned?
Yes, provided you can described the precise location of the land / premises concerned. If it is difficult to accurately describe an area of land over the telephone, can you put your enquiry in writing with an accompanying plan. All the land and premises we own is marked up on a plan called the land terrier. If you arrange a personal visit in advance, you can review the land terrier and we can assist you with respect of land ownership.
Contact the Estates Officer to arrange an appointment.
Is there a charge for this information?
Not at present. However, dependent upon the future demand for this service, we may consider introducing a charge to offset Land Registry and administrative costs.
How long will it take you to find out the information I have requested?
This will depend on the level of detail requested and the accuracy of the information supplied and in particular the need for a detailed plan. Generally, we will provide a written response within 10 working days and we will let you know if we cannot do it within this time scale.
Can I use council land?
We regularly receive requests from members of the public, private organisations, charitable bodies and others to use land owned by us under licence for a variety of activities and events. We will not grant licences to use land for bonfires and firework displays under any circumstances because of the risk and associated dangers to both the public and the land itself.
Typical requests considered include:
- Use of land for supervised sporting events, sports coaching
- Use of land for entertainment, fun days
- The temporary siting of builder's and contractor's compounds for cabins and materials
- The undertaking of exploratory work such as trial pits, boreholes or ground contamination testing
- Grazing of animals
- Traditional leases for industrial units, play area sites, parking bays and so on.
Request to use council land
A third party can make a formal request in writing to the Estates Officer on the contact details below.
Read the protocol for the use of land in our ownership (PDF: 150Kb / 5 pages), which outlines the information you that must supply before we grant permission. This information enables us to meet our own legal responsibilities to ensure such events are properly organised and controlled. Make your request at the earliest opportunity. Reviews are concluded at least 4 weeks in advance of the proposed event.
How can I find out who owns private property?
The Land Registry registers the ownership of land and property in England and Wales each time it is sold.
Search for property information from HM Land Registry to find out who owns a property.
See phone menu options for HM Land Registry on GOV.UK for support on using their online services.
If land or property has not been bought or sold recently it may not be registered with the Land Registry, in this case you could ask any neighbours if they know.
Any land or property that is being developed will have details of owners stated on the planning application. Use the address or planning applications reference number to: