What is a land registry compliant plan?
All property ownership details in England and Wales are recorded, maintained and protected by HM Land Registry, a government department. A land registry compliant plan is a property map or surveyor’s plan that meets the requirements of HM Land Registry.
Why are land registry title documents important?
Land registry documents are needed for most land and property transactions. These documents include a title register with a title plan – often referred to as a red line or red edging plan. The land registry title plan is usually prepared and submitted to the Land Registry during a transaction or for a first registration.
The title plan is an official record and visual representation of the property. These plans protect property rights, prevent fraud and make it easier to sell or change property. A good quality plan gives people a clear understanding of what they are buying or selling. It also provides a sound basis in case of any problems in the future.
Why are good quality, compliant plans needed?
Land registry compliant plans ensure accuracy, consistency and legal compliance for all property ownership. HM Land Registry sets out specific guidelines and regulations for compliant plans. Often, historic property plans that would have been acceptable in the past no longer meet Land Registry standards.
You need to submit plans that meet Land Registry’s requirements, else you risk problems with your application process. Your application may even be rejected, so you will need a professionally prepared plan for your application submission.
As experienced land surveyors, we carry out site surveys and the preparation of land registry plans for a range of land and property requirements.
A land registry title plan will show:
- Key features, including buildings, roads and rivers.
- A general boundary in red edging
You must register all land or property if you’ve:
- bought it
- been given it
- inherited it
- received it in exchange for other property or land
- mortgaged the property
The title register is a document that includes written details about a property. It accompanies a red line title plan, which shows the property’s location and general boundaries. Together, the title register and title plan provide a complete description of the property.
- the title number
- who owns the property
- how much the property was last sold for
- whether the property has a mortgage
- details of any ‘restrictive covenants’ – promises not to do certain things with the land, like not building on a particular area
- details of any ‘easements’ – the rights of one piece of land over another, like a right of way
In some cases, the title register will not include the details of the restrictive covenants or easements, but will say which documents do.
When do you need land registry plans prepared?
You may need a new land registry compliant plan for a property transaction or if your property has never been registered with the Land Registry. Your property might not be registered if you owned it before 1990 and have not mortgaged it since then.
Our services give people clarity around property details and support efficient applications to the Land Registry. We can prepare land registry compliant plans for lease plans, boundary agreements, first registration of a property or the sale of part of a title. We work for landowners and homeowners directly, as well as for property and conveyancing solicitors and their clients.
Selling or subdividing land or property
Sellers can check the land registry title plans to ensure they are selling what they mean to. Buyers can also check so they are clear about what they believe they are buying.
Transferring land or property
A land registry compliant plan is needed when registering a property and its new ownership after a purchase.
Leasehold property changes or renewals
A land registry compliant plan is needed when registering a lease for a property with the Land Registry.
First registrations
Land registration for land and property has been compulsory in England and Wales since 1990. However, some land remains unregistered because the registration has not been triggered by a sale, transfer or lease. Registering your property provides certainty, security and evidence of ownership.
Boundary agreements and determined boundary plans
Land registry compliant plans must be attached to applications to register a boundary agreement or determined boundary against property titles. Where there is no dispute, these agreements can provide clarity in the future. They can also be prepared at the conclusion of court proceedings to document the judge’s ruling.
When are site surveys used for land registry plans?
If an old property plan is simply being transposed to meet current standards, we can usually complete the drafting at a desktop without a site visit. The plans will need to clearly show the extent of the property. It must also easily relate to the up-to-date Ordnance Survey map.
If the plan involves splitting land, first registration or new registrations, we will need to complete a site visit to survey the property. This is so we can ensure the property extents are recorded accurately and transposed to land registry requirements.
Other reasons we provide surveys and land registry plans
Why choose Cheshire Surveys
We provide a range of surveys and related services across the North West, Cheshire, North Staffordshire and North Wales.
Passion & technical expertise
25+ years experience
Quality services tailored to your project
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How accurate are land registry plans?
Land registry plans are not designed to be precise on their own and they will only show a property’s general boundary. The land registry plans do not show the exact position of a boundary or what the boundary constitutes, unless specifically documented in the title deeds or covenants.
The definition of boundaries is not an exact science due to the way the land registration process works. For most land and property, a legal boundary is an imaginary or invisible line that divides one person’s property from another. A common-sense approach should be taken when interpreting land registry plans and how they relate to what is on the ground.
Boundary Surveys
Find out more about how our work supports boundary disputes, agreements, sales and planning.
Solutions for Boundary Issues
Our services can be a good starting point to assist with boundary matters. Determining the location of a legal boundary can be complicated as your on-the-ground boundary may differ from the original land registry plans.
We support boundary issues by providing both parties with the facts, which can help you to reach an agreement or resolution. You might do this by yourselves or with the advice of a solicitor, without the need for lengthy litigation.
Land Registry: Boundary Agreements
Two parties may come to an agreement on what features represent the general boundary. Boundary agreements are prepared when both parties wish to have this added to the land registry title documentation. This is a description of the boundary with a plan to accompany it.
It is signed by both parties and the boundary agreement is sent to the Land Registry. It will then be recorded on both parties’ property titles.
Land Registry: Determined Boundary
Determined boundary applications are the next level up from an agreement. They will record the exact location of the boundary. This ensures it can be ‘set out’ at any point in the future if on-the-ground features are lost after the registration.
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Preparing land registry compliant plans
In the past land registry plans could be hand drawn, but this is no longer the case. For all new land registry compliant plans, the drawings must be produced electronically. There is very specific guidance on how the plans must be displayed and what land registry plans must show.
The plans should be at A4 or A3 size at 1:1250 scale for urban areas or 1:2500 for rural areas, with a north point and scale bar. They must be shown on an up to date Ordnance Survey baseplan with enough map coverage so that the location of the property is clear.
Due to the Land Registry’s highly specific requirements, it is always likely you will need professional surveying or drafting services to complete your plans. Land registry plans are best produced by professionals who can produce high quality digital plans with specialist CAD software. Without these professional services, you risk the plans being rejected by HM Land Registry at the application stage.
Land registry title plan costs
The costs of land registry overlay plans will be determined by the size and complexity of the site and plans required. For example, plans for small transfers of land cost the least. However, lease plans for flats will cost more as greater details are required and they take longer to prepare.
We will always need to buy Ordnance Survey data to prepare the plans. We will include this cost in your quote.
Survey costs
If we have to carry out a survey to complete your land registry plans, there are numerous factors that can influence its costs.
- The size of the area to be surveyed
- How built up the site is
- The complexity of the shape of the buildings on site
- Levels of vegetation on site
- Number of trees and areas of woodland
- Tidiness of the site
- Amount of traffic or vehicle movement
- Hazards on site or any unusual circumstances
- Ease of access
- Distance from our offices, if greater than 30 miles or over 1 hour’s travel
- Poor access around the site to be surveyed e.g. if a site is cluttered or there are lots of parked cars.
- Any day-to-day operations that need to continue whilst the survey is being carried and restrict when access is available.
- If the survey has to be performed outside of normal working hours e.g. weekends, evenings or overnight.
- Areas of dense vegetation or poor visibility that mean we need more than one surveyor to carry out the survey.
- Hazards on site that mean we need more than one surveyor to carry out the survey.
How we work
Step 01
Request a quote
We’ll need your project’s address and a site plan. We’ll then get in touch for a consultation to confirm site details and understand exactly what your project needs.
Step 02
Quote accepted
Once your project is confirmed with us, we’ll arrange a convenient date for your survey.
Step 03
We complete your survey
We’ll visit your project site to carry out the survey. We can meet you on site if needed. We will then process the survey data and create a survey drawing.
Step 04
Receive your survey
We’ll share the survey data with you, usually within a few days. We use industry standard file types and can issue all the drawings in multiple formats.
Who we work with
Topographical Surveys
Accurate, scaled plan of a site’s terrain, and a record of the position and levels of both manmade and natural features.
Measured Building Surveys
3D site survey of a building’s layout and structure that can also be used to produce floor plans, elevations and cross-section drawings.
As-Built Surveys
A fully up-to-date record of what has just been constructed, ensuring it matches the proposed plans. Useful for producing further plans that require an accurate site layout.
Boundary Surveys
Clearly understand your boundary lines, remove uncertainty around neighbouring land, and prevent disputes.
Floor Level Surveys
Quality survey check for various floor construction stages, from existing floors to newly constructed slabs.
Garden Surveys
Highly detailed, specialist topographical survey for garden landscaping and redesigns.
GPS Surveys
Ideal for covering large open spaces, like fields, or where access may be restricted or challenging.
Ground Investigation Services
Reliable and accurate location data for ground investigations like CBR tests, boreholes and trial pits. We record data and mark out investigation and monitoring points.
Movement Monitoring Surveys
Tracking and recording movement or alterations, such as crack monitoring and land movements, in either a built structure or a landform.
River & Floodplain Surveys
Surveys of riverbanks and beds, as well as adjacent floodplains. We record water levels and significant features for flood risk assessments and erosion monitoring.
Road Surveys
Comprehensive record of current road layouts and levels, including kerbs, street furniture and road markings. Ideal for visibility splays and new highways designs.
Setting Out
Geocordinated setting out services for building groundworks and steelworks for new housing, commercial and industrial sites.
Surveys for Land Registry Title Plans
Site surveys for creating Land Registry compliant plans to record areas of sale, transfer, correction or first registration.
Volumetric Surveys & Terrain Models
Measuring the total amount of stockpiled, extracted or collected materials and aggregates. Suitable for construction, calculating and auditing.
