FAQs About Conveyancing in Sheffield
Compare My Move's team have researched conveyancing searches and what they mean for a property in Sheffield. According to Sheffield’s Council website, the cost of a Local Land Charges Search (LLC1) is £27.00.
We found that Sheffield has a high risk of river and sea flooding, largely due to the five rivers flowing through the city, with the chance of flooding greater than 3.3% each year. Sheffield has high levels of Radon Gas and the area could be at risk from subsidence and ground stability concerns due to the city's industrial history. A conveyancing solicitor will be able to advise you on the results of your searches and discuss any concerns prior to purchase.
How Much Are Conveyancing Searches in Sheffield?
Your conveyancer will be responsible for organising conveyancing searches during the conveyancing process. These are made up of a Local Authority Search, Environmental Search and a Water and Drainage Search.
The main conveyancing search will be the Local Authority Search. The Local Authority Search is split into two parts, the Local Land Charges Search (LLC1) and the Con29 form. The purpose of the search is to find out as much important information on the property and its surrounding area before you commit to buying it.
We’ve done the research and put together the cost of a Local Authority Search in Sheffield. According to Sheffield’s Council website, the cost of a Local Land Charges Search (LLC1) is £27.00 and £1 for each extra parcel. An expedited LLC1 will cost £37.40, this means you will get the results back at a faster pace.
The cost for a Con29R Component Data is set at a minimum administration charge of £10.60 plus individual questions cost and the Con 29O is £7.80 each + VAT. An expedited Con29 will cost £89.30 + VAT and a Full Con 29R will cost £56 with extra parcels costing £9.35 each + VAT
The Local Authority Search along with the Environmental Search and Water and Drainage Search will be organised by your conveyancer and they will usually come as part of a conveyancing search package.
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Local Land Charges Search (LLC1)
£27.00 inc VAT
The purpose of the search is to uncover any restrictions, or legal obligations, against the site. The search gives the solicitor, on behalf of the home mover, vital information on the property or land prior to completion.
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Expedited LLC1
£37.40 inc VAT
This is the same as a LLC1, but it is usually completed the next working day.
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Personal Search
£Free inc VAT
N/A
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Con 29O
£7.80 each + VAT inc VAT
For each printed enquiry numbered of the CON29 form
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Expedited Con29
£89.30 + VAT inc VAT
As above, but results are usually completed the next working day.
Local Authority Search costs taken from Sheffield’s Council website. Correct as of July 2020.
What are the Flood Risks in Sheffield?
As part of the conveyancing process, your conveyancer will organise conveyancing searches. An Environmental Search will discover if the property is located in an area prone to flooding. There are five rivers that flow through Sheffield including the River Don, Sheaf, Rivelin, Loxley and Porter meaning there is a high risk of flooding in Sheffield.
A government flood risk map shows that Sheffield has a high risk of river and sea flooding. This means that each year Sheffield has a chance of flooding of greater than 3.3%. According to Sheffield City Council, there are 2,778 residential properties at risk of fluvial flooding with a further 3,315 at future risk. There are also 2290 commercial properties at risk of fluvial flooding in Sheffield with a further 2725 at future risk.
Sheffield City Council has a Flood Risk Management Strategy in place that sets out to reduce the likelihood of flooding. It aims to provide support to local communities to protect themselves from flooding as well as working towards improving the city’s environment. Working closely with the Environment Agency, together they aim to identify all sources of flood risk within Sheffield.
If you’re thinking of buying a house in Sheffield, you will need a conveyancer to carry out conveyancing searches to highlight if the property is in or near one of Sheffield’s high-risk flood risk areas. If your searches reveal the property is in a flood risk area, your conveyancer can organise a further search called a Flood Risk Search.
Are There Ground Stability Concerns in Sheffield?
Ground stability can be caused by man-made or natural hazards that make the ground beneath or around the property unstable. Your conveyancer will organise a Ground Stability Search as part of the Environmental Search which will reveal any unstable ground near the property. The Ground Stability Search will highlight any issues such as subsidence that could affect the instability of the ground.
One of the main reasons for unstable ground is subsidence. Due to Sheffield once being steeped with many collieries, Sheffield suffers from subsidence. The Coal Authority mine map shows that Sheffield has a significant amount of past shallow coal mine workings and probable shallow coal mine workings, which is a cause of subsidence.
If there is a high risk of current or future unstable ground, it could affect your property value when it comes to selling. Your conveyancer will be able to tell you of any threat of unstable ground during your conveyancing searches.
- Reveals instability issues from natural or man-made hazards.
- Highlights historic and current landfill sites.
- Identifies natural ground subsidence.
- Recognises historic tin, coal, clay and any other mining activity.
What are the Radon Gas Levels in Sheffield?
As part of your conveyancing searches, your Local Authority Search carried out by the local council, will determine if there is a high level of radon gas present near your property. The Con29 form will ask questions relating to the threat of radon gas in and near the property. The search will highlight if the house is directly in a high-risk area or the specific distance to the nearest radon affected area.
Radon gas is a colourless and odourless gas that is present throughout the UK. Every building and house contains some level of radon gas, but some may contain higher levels than others. According to a UK radon gas map, Sheffield has a higher level of radon gas. The map shows that some areas of Sheffield are in bands of elevated radon potential, with a maximum potential being 5-10%.
We’ve researched radon gas in Sheffield to help put your mind at ease. Some of the most affected areas for radon gas in Sheffield are Penistone Road, Heeley, Fulwood Road and Abbeydale Road. Your conveyancer will let you know if there is a high threat of radon gas in and around the property you are looking to purchase.
Contaminated Land in Sheffield
During your conveyancing searches, your Environment Search and Local Authority Search will highlight if the property or the land around it is built on or near contaminated land. Contaminated land is when substances are causing or could cause serious harm to public health, property or the environment. Land is more likely to be contaminated if it was previously or currently used as landfill, mining or steel mills.
Sheffield has a history of coal mining, with The Sheffield Coal Company once being the oldest colliery companies in Sheffield and running from 1805 until 1961. According to the Coal Authority’s mine map, Sheffield has a significant amount of past shallow coal mine workings and probable shallow coal mine workings. The deeper the mine, the more chance of contaminated land.
Sheffield also has many areas that are ‘development high-risk areas’. Development high-risk areas make up for 15% of the coalfield area and are where coal mining risks are present, likely to affect new development. If you plan to build a property on a development high-risk area, you will need a Coal Mining Risk Assessment.
Sheffield City Council has a Contaminated Land and Site Investigation in place to ensure all contaminated land is investigated and dealt with safely. If your property is built on or near contaminated land, your conveyancer will highlight this during the searches.
