Preparing plans for Land Registry applications in the UK is a critical task with specific guidelines. The following are key points from the UK Government’s guidance on this topic:
- Importance of Deed Plans: Preparing plans for registration purposes, especially with unregistered properties, can be challenging. These plans are essential for buying and selling land as they play a vital role in resolving future issues regarding the extent of the land in a registered title.
- Quality of Plans: Good quality plans are important for providing clarity on what is being bought, solving future problems, and ensuring efficient processing of applications by the HM Land Registry.
- Specific Application Types: The guidelines for plans remain fundamentally the same across various application types, although there might be variations for unusual applications. HM Land Registry is prepared to offer advice on specific applications.
- First Registrations: For first registrations, detailed plans are usually necessary to clearly identify land on the Ordnance Survey map. In some cases, a verbal description may suffice, but a plan is needed if there’s any uncertainty about the land included.
- Transfers/Leases of Part of a Registered Estate: Plans are typically required for transfers and leases of parts of a registered estate. The plan used must be based on the currently approved version of the estate plan, and verbal descriptions alone are not acceptable.
- Unusual Extents of Land: For applications involving unusual extents of land, like airspace or roof space, a plan is invariably required. The plan must clearly indicate the land’s relation to existing ground surface detail and specify the included depth or height.
- Verbal Descriptions: In some cases, properties can be registered based on a postal address if they are fully defined by Ordnance Survey detail. However, properties with open-plan frontages or older developments with complex layouts might require more detailed plans.
- Guidelines for Preparing Plans: The guidelines cover various aspects, including the base plan, obtaining mapping from the Ordnance Survey, using existing plans, and dealing with old deed plans. It’s essential to ensure that the plan is drawn accurately to scale, clearly defines the property, and includes all necessary details like postal number, house name, road name, etc. Plans that have been reduced in scale or based on an official copy of the title plan need special consideration to ensure clarity and accuracy.
- E-Lodgement of Plans: Plans prepared according to the guidelines can be scanned and submitted electronically. The scanned image must maintain the same standard as the paper plan and provide sufficient detail to relate the land and easements accurately to the Ordnance Survey map
This guidance is crucial for ensuring that Land Registry applications in the UK are processed efficiently and effectively, with a clear understanding of the land’s extent and boundaries.
