The Law Society Local Authority Forms

Keep Local Authority forms with the matter in InTouch

InTouch gives your team one place to work with Local Authority forms alongside the matter record, search information, and follow-up tasks.

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Local Authority forms available in InTouch

Available Forms

CON29M – Coal mining search (2018)

For obtaining information about past, present or future underground and surface coal mining activity for a property or site in a coal mining or past coal mining area.

CON29DW Commercial – drainage and water enquiries (2021)

For key information for prospective buyers of commercial property, including questions about wayleaves and easements.

CON29 – Enquiries of local authorities (2016)

For requesting information held by the local authority about a property, including matters that could affect future use or development or impose financial burdens.

CON29O – Optional enquiries of local authorities (2016)

For raising optional local authority enquiries, including matters such as completion notices, noise abatement and land maintenance notices.

CON29DW Residential – drainage and water enquiries (2016)

For key information for prospective buyers about water and sewage services.

Guidance Notes

CON29 guidance notes

For helping solicitors and conveyancers interpret replies to CON29 and CON29O enquiries.

CON29M guidance notes – Part I, Part II and Part III

For guidance on the use and interpretation of CON29M coal mining searches.

Why keep Local Authority forms inside the matter?

Local Authority forms are easier to manage when they sit within the matter rather than across separate files, emails, and search portals.

The Law Society expects firms to have a clear system for managing documents and files. In conveyancing, that means keeping Local Authority forms, search information, and related documents together. InTouch also supports ordering searches from the matter and receiving results back on the file.

With InTouch, your team can:

  • open the right form against the right matter

  • use case details already held in the file

  • keep search information and related documents together

  • see whether a search is ordered, pending or complete

  • receive results back on the matter

  • avoid duplicate files, version issues, and unnecessary chasing

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What are Local Authority forms?

The Law Society’s Local Authority search forms are commonly referred to as CON29 forms.

They are used in conveyancing and property transactions to request information that may affect a property or site, including:

  • standard local authority enquiries

  • optional local authority enquiries

  • drainage and water enquiries

  • coal mining information

A standard local authority search is often used as a broad term and typically includes an LLC1 search alongside CON29, with CON29O added where needed.

FAQs

  • A local authority search is a property search used during conveyancing to check for matters that may affect a property, such as planning, highways, restrictions and local land charges.

  • No. A local authority search is broader. It usually includes local land charges information together with CON29 enquiries.

  • Yes. A standard local authority search usually includes LLC1 together with CON29.

  • No. CON29 forms are part of the wider local authority search process, not the whole search on their own.

  • Yes. In most property purchases, a local authority search is ordered as part of the conveyancing process.

  • Yes. It can reveal issues that may affect value, use, future plans or mortgageability.

  • Usually the buyer’s solicitor or conveyancer orders the local authority search.

  • Yes. Local authority searches are used in both residential conveyancing and commercial property transactions.

Explore more Law Society forms in InTouch

InTouch supports a wide range of Law Society forms across residential conveyancing and commercial property work, helping firms keep key forms and documents connected to the matter.

Law Society TA forms

Work with TA forms used in residential property transactions, including seller information and property-related forms.

Conveyancing Quality Scheme forms

Manage Conveyancing Quality Scheme forms, including client instruction, AML, risk and file review forms.

Standard Business Leases

Use The Law Society Standard Business Lease forms, including LS1, LS2, LS3 and LS4.

Standard Conditions of Sale & SCPC

Work with Standard Conditions of Sale and Standard Commercial Property Conditions (SCPC) forms.