A Section 106 agreement is one of the most important tools local authorities use to make development acceptable.

When a new scheme is likely to put pressure on roads, schools, open space, healthcare or community facilities, a s106 agreement helps ensure the local area isn’t left picking up the bill… and that the development genuinely works for the community.

For anyone involved in buying, selling or advising on property, understanding the basics of s106 can save a lot of confusion (and sometimes a lot of money).

Lets dive in…

What does a s106 agreement actually do?

In simple terms, it’s a legally binding commitment between the developer and the local authority. It can:

  • Secure affordable housing contributions
  • Fund infrastructure like transport improvements or new public spaces
  • Provide community facilities such as parks or play areas
  • Restrict or control how the land is used
  • Require mitigation measures to minimise negative impacts (e.g., noise, traffic, landscaping)

While planning permission sets the rules, a s106 agreement sets the responsibilities.

How is it secured and how long does it last?

A s106 agreement is attached to the land itself, not the developer. That means future owners inherit any outstanding obligations until the council confirms they’ve been discharged.

A s106 will:

  • Be recorded as a Local Land Charge
  • Remain binding until fully complied with
  • Normally become visible in searches, even many years after completion

This is why conveyancers treat s106 entries with such care; they can affect value, use, timescales, and sometimes even mortgageability.

Variations and legacy agreements

Planning evolves, and so can s106 obligations. You may also see:

  • Deeds of Variation: where the authority and developer agree changes (often due to viability or design updates)
  • Section 52 agreements: older versions dating from the 1970s, still enforceable where they remain on the record

They all matter because they can impose conditions or financial obligations long after the development was first approved.

Why s106 matters in conveyancing

A s106 agreement can shape:

  • What the buyer can and can’t do with the land
  • What payments or works are still outstanding
  • Whether all conditions were met correctly
  • Whether affordable housing restrictions apply
  • Whether any future obligations might fall onto the new owner

Buyers rarely expect to inherit a clause requiring, for example, a payment towards a cycle route – but if it’s still undischarged, they need to know.

A clear s106 check helps avoid surprises, delays or misunderstandings between buyer, seller, agent and lender.

Section 106 agreements sit quietly behind most medium‑to‑large developments, making sure the benefits of growth are fairly shared. For property professionals, they aren’t just paperwork – they tell the story of how a site came to be, what promises were made, and what’s still expected.

A quick s106 review can reveal whether obligations were tied up neatly or whether loose ends remain. And when things aren’t quite wrapped up, spotting it early means there’s time to renegotiate, clarify or put protective wording in place – long before contracts are exchanged.

Think of s106 as the fine print of place‑making: essential, often overlooked, but hugely important to the people who live, work and invest in the area. Get it right early, and the rest of the transaction runs far more smoothly.

When development happens, someone needs to pay for the roads, schools, parks and services that help an area cope with growth. That’s where the Community Infrastructure Levy comes in

They are a tool used by many local authorities to collect a standardised financial contribution from developers.

Here, in a nice, tea break-sized blog, is all you need to know:

So, what exactly is a Community Infrastructure Levy?

CIL is a fixed, non‑negotiable charge set by a local authority and applied to certain types of new development. Unlike Section 106 contributions (which are negotiated case‑by‑case), CIL uses a published charging schedule so everyone knows upfront what’s expected.

It only applies in areas where the council has formally adopted it, so while some parts of the country use CIL routinely, others rely more heavily on s106 agreements.

When does CIL apply?

CIL liability is triggered by development, usually measured by new floorspace (typically over 100m² unless it’s a new dwelling). Once planning permission is granted, the developer must:

  • Assume liability
  • Submit a Commencement Notice
  • Pay according to instalments in the authority’s policy

Missing any of these steps can result in surcharges… something conveyancers are keen to avoid.

CIL vs Section 106: what’s the difference?

This is a question conveyancers hear weekly. The short version:

  • CIL = fixed charge, set out in the charging schedule
  • s106 = negotiated obligations, often tied to site‑specific impacts (e.g., affordable housing, open space mitigation)

Importantly, both can apply to the same development. CIL doesn’t replace s106, it simply reduces the need to negotiate everyday infrastructure costs.

Why it matters in conveyancing

If CIL liability exists, it binds the land, not the person who created it. This means buyers could inherit unpaid CIL unless paperwork is watertight.

Conveyancers should always check:

  • CIL liability notice
  • Assumption of liability
  • Any surcharges
  • Whether commencement was properly notified

CIL keeps infrastructure funding predictable and transparent – great for planning, but absolutely essential to get right during due diligence. A quick CIL review won’t just prevent expensive surprises later; it also protects your client from inheriting someone else’s liability, avoids last‑minute delays, and helps clarify the development history attached to the property.

In practice, checking CIL is one of those small steps that gives everyone – buyers, lenders and solicitors – real peace of mind. When the numbers add up, the notices line up, and the paperwork shows a clean trail, the whole transaction moves more smoothly. And when something doesn’t look right, spotting it early is the difference between a minor correction and a major headache.

In short: treat CIL like an early‑warning light on the dashboard – quick to check, invaluable when it’s flashing, and best handled before the journey goes any further.

Property professionals can now enjoy greater confidence and peace of mind in every transaction, thanks to OneSearch’s new partnership with 4Stamp: the definitive SDLT solution.

From today, OneSearch customers can manage and track their post-completion SDLT and LTT calculations directly within our platform, alongside local authority searches, environmental reports, and other essential conveyancing tools. This integration brings everything together in one place, saving time and reducing risk.

4Stamp is a cloud-based solution which allows all parties access to all the updates, data, and information required to provide a certified, accurate assessment of the purchasers’ property tax liability

“We have always been dedicated to setting the gold standard for accuracy and trust in the property market,” said Liz Jarvis, Managing Director of OneSearch. “Our partnership with 4Stamp is a natural extension of this promise. By integrating their certified, expert-backed solution into our platform, we are giving our clients end-to-end confidence, from the initial search all the way through to the final tax calculation.”

Richard Friend, Managing Director at 4Stamp Ltd added, “We are thrilled to partner with OneSearch, a company that shares our core values of data integrity and professional excellence. Their market-leading platform provides the perfect home for our service. Together, we are taking the mystery out of Stamp Duty Land Tax and empowering legal professionals to eliminate risk and streamline their workflow.”

Generic online calculators can be risky, often failing to account for all variables and exposing your firm to potential liability. In fact, 8% of customers overpay on their property tax, a statistic that highlights the need for a better solution.

4Stamp is not another calculator. It’s a comprehensive, certified assessment that considers the purchaser’s circumstances, the property, and the transaction vehicle. This is why it’s trusted by professionals.

By using 4Stamp via OneSearch, you will:

  • Eliminate Risk: Move beyond generic calculators and get a precise, certified tax assessment.
  • Gain Protection: Every calculation is backed by professional indemnity insurance, transferring liability away from your firm.
  • Save Time: Instantly get a certified value or immediate access to tax advisors for complex cases.
  • Ensure Compliance: Every assessment includes a certified PDF and a full audit trail for your records.

At OneSearch, we have always been about empowering legal professionals with speed, confidence, and protection. Now, we’re bringing that same promise to the final, critical step of every property transaction.

Ready to transform your conveyancing process? Learn more about the OneSearch and 4Stamp partnership and discover the value for yourself.

When you’re moving through a property transaction, Local Land Charges (LLCs) sit quietly in the background… but they’re doing a lot of heavy lifting.

They protect buyers, inform lenders, and ensure no one inherits an unexpected restriction or liability. And now, with HM Land Registry’s digital migration well underway, the way we access and understand these charges is changing for the better.

Here’s a clear, friendly, five‑minute guide to help newer faces to conveyancing explain the essentials.

What are Local Land Charges?

Local Land Charges are restrictions, obligations or prohibitions that are tied to land or property and automatically pass to each new owner. They’re created by public bodies using statutory powers and must be registered so that buyers are informed before committing to a purchase.

Classic examples include:

If it limits how the land can be used – or ensures someone pays what they owe – it’s probably a land charge.

LLC1 vs CON29: clearing up any confusion

Buyers often mix these up, so here’s the easy explanation:

  • LLC1 reveals everything held on the Local Land Charges Register – the legally binding charges.
  • CON29 covers local authority enquiries about things not held on that register, such as road schemes, planning history, or building control.

Together, they form the ‘full search’, but they serve very different purposes.

What’s in the Local Land Charges Register?

LLCs are grouped into Parts 1–12, covering everything from financial charges (like CIL) to planning designations, environmental protections, historic buildings, aviation restrictions, compensation schemes and more.

Some charges are mapped in spatial datasets. Others exist only as text entries. Many are highly technical, but the purpose is always the same: to alert the buyer to something important before they exchange.

The HMLR Digital Migration; what’s changing?

Since 2018, Local Land Charges registers have been gradually transferring from individual councils to HM Land Registry’s national digital service. Not every authority has migrated yet, but the end goal is a centralised, standardised, instantly searchable dataset.

The benefits are big:

  • One national search portal, instead of 300+ different council processes
  • Better mapping, using INSPIRE spatial datasets
  • Consistent turnaround times
  • Cleaner, clearer data, reducing the risk of omissions
  • Easier access for conveyancers, especially in edge cases or multi‑parcel searches

For buyers and conveyancers, this means a more predictable, transparent experience – and fewer discrepancies between planning systems, mapping, and the LLC register.

Why this matters in practice

LLCs can flag anything from a straightforward TPO to a condition that must be discharged, a financial liability still owed, or a highway obligation that limits future alterations. Even one missed entry could have costly consequences.

The digital migration helps reduce these risks by improving visibility, consistency, and auditability.

Local Land Charges may not grab headlines, but they’re one of the most important safeguards in the homebuying journey. Understanding how the register works – and how the HMLR digital upgrade is modernising it – helps conveyancers guide clients with confidence, clarity and the right expectations.

Local Development Plans quietly shape the places we live, work, and build, long before foundations are poured or planning applications reach committee.

They’re the blueprint for growth, setting out where new homes, schools, employment land, transport improvements and green spaces will go over the next decade or more… and now, with a major upgrade to the plan‑making system arriving in early 2026, it’s the perfect moment to unpack what’s changing, why it matters, and how it impacts conveyancing and property transactions.

What is a Local Development Plan?

A Local Development Plan is a legally required document produced by every local authority. It:

  • sets the vision and priorities for an area
  • identifies where development will (and won’t) go
  • outlines policies on housing, employment, transport, climate, heritage, and the environment
  • provides proposals maps showing spatial designations
  • guides planning decisions for years to come

Local authorities publish these plans online, usually in the planning policy area of their website. Alongside the main plan, there may be supplementary documents, area‑wide strategies, or draft proposals still in preparation.

What’s changing for 2026?

The UK Government is introducing a new Local Plan‑making system, designed to be faster, clearer, and more consistent. The current system is widely seen as slow, expensive, and highly variable between authorities.

From early 2026, the key changes include:

1. A new 30‑month timeline for producing plans

One of the biggest shifts. Local authorities will be required to prepare and adopt Local Plans within 30 months – a dramatic tightening compared to today’s often multi‑year processes.

2. A streamlined evidence and examination process

Authorities will no longer need to produce huge volumes of supporting documents. The system aims to reduce the administrative burden and speed up examinations.

3. A more standardised, map‑based format

Plans will become more visual, digital, and easier to interpret. Spatial clarity will improve – good news for conveyancers trying to navigate layers of designations.

4. Updated National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)

A revised NPPF is expected for consultation in late 2025 and adoption in mid‑2026. It will align with the new plan‑making system and support faster homebuilding, infrastructure delivery, and clearer design expectations.

5. Stronger accountability for authorities

Central government has made it clear that up‑to‑date plans are non‑negotiable. There will be tighter expectations (and fewer excuses) for delays.

Why does the 2026 upgrade matter to our industry?

Local Plans aren’t just abstract policy documents – they directly shape:

  • Future development around a property
    New housing allocations, transport schemes, schools, relief roads or regeneration zones can significantly influence value and expectations.
  • Planning risk
    A site near a proposed growth corridor or employment zone may see increased activity. Conversely, land within a protected designation may face tighter restrictions.
  • Timing and certainty
    A clear 30‑month plan cycle means fewer periods of planning limbo, reducing ambiguity for buyers.
  • Emerging proposals
    Draft plans or recently published plans may be referenced in search results even before formal adoption. It’s helpful to explain that “emerging weight” can influence decisions.

How does this appear in property searches?

Search reports often include:

  • recent and emerging development plans
  • spatial policies affecting the property
  • unmapped designations referenced in planning policy
  • strategic documents that may influence the area
  • local authority plan‑making updates or consultations

Not every document listed affects the specific property directly; sometimes it simply indicates that the site falls within the wider plan boundary.

Local Development Plans are the backbone of the planning system, and the 2026 upgrade aims to make them faster, clearer, and more reliable. For conveyancers, they’re an essential part of contextual property advice: helping buyers understand what their surroundings may look like in five, ten, or fifteen years’ time.

As the new plan‑making system comes into force, staying aware of local authorities’ progress will be key to giving clients accurate, up‑to‑date guidance.

Clear drainage and water insights are foundational to confident conveyancing. Every minute spent interpreting a dense report is time lost elsewhere in a transaction.

To support faster, transparent advice, we have enhanced our OneSearch DW report for 2026. This report, a core element of conveyancing due diligence from OneSearch for the past 16 years, has undergone a thoughtful redesign to deliver a cleaner, more intuitive structure, making essential drainage and water insights effortless to absorb.

Catherine Noble Hyland, Senior Product Manager at OneSearch said: “The OneSearch DW refresh aims to help conveyancers work more efficiently with less distraction. Our improved summary page was designed to reduce mental load,  so our clients can move from data to client advice without missing a beat. We’ve very proud of the end result and client feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.”

Achieving Clarity: What’s New in the Design

We recognise the pressure to interpret complex data quickly while maintaining faultless accuracy. Reports that are visually dense or difficult to scan can slow transactions to a crawl, and even introduce unnecessary risk. That problem is precisely why we initiated this refresh; to remove visual friction and ensure every critical insight is immediately accessible.

You’ll notice key enhancements immediately:

  • A new summary page, for ease of interpretation. This brings the most critical connection status information right to the forefront.
  • Clear, uniform design. Enjoy consistency and familiarity across your OneSearch reports.
  • Clickable hyperlinks between sections for faster navigation.
  • A modern, streamlined layout that reduces visual noise and clutter. We’ve taken this opportunity to smarten how information is presented, allowing the most important details to stand out naturally.

Why This Refresh Matters to Your Workflow

The new layout provides direct benefits to you and your team:

  • Faster Answers: The new summary page with clickable access to the specific page details allows you to scan for the connection status of the Mains Water, Foul Sewer, and Surface Water Sewer faster than ever.
  • Easier Client Communication: The refreshed clarity helps you confidently advise your client on liability for maintenance, public sewer connection, and proximity to the public sewer.
  • Reduced Cognitive Load: The improved structure reduces the time spent searching for details, allowing you to focus on high-value advice.

Your Confidence Remains Our Priority

While the report design has evolved, our commitment to risk mitigation is unchanged.

The OneSearch DW report remains backed by £10 Million Professional Indemnity Insurance, ensuring you are protected against search-related PI claims.

Our search continues to benefit from an insurance policy This foundational assurance, combined with the new aesthetic clarity, ensures the OneSearch DW remains the most dependable choice for your due diligence.

Same Trusted Data: Now Even Easier to Use

The data inside is still the industry standard you rely on, the OneSearch DW report has been a foundational element of conveyancing due diligence for 15 years.

This refresh introduces a new visual experience while maintaining that proven depth and reliability. The essential Drainage and Water Enquiries sections remain consistent. Think of it as the same essential due diligence, delivered with a refined and more user-friendly touch.

This is Just the Beginning

We view this refresh as part of our ongoing commitment to delivering clarity and excellence. We trust that the updated report meets your requirements and welcome any feedback you may have.

Experience the DW report on your next search, or in your bundle packs. View our product page, or contact our Service Introduction Team today for all the details.