North West Leicestershire District Council says that buying a property in the area will soon become quicker and simpler for everyone.

The District Council (NWLDC) has worked with HM Land Registry to become one of the first local authorities in the country to transfer its local land charges (LLC) service to the national digital register.

The LLC Register allows users to search information online instantly, so buying decisions can be made earlier in the conveyancing process.

Most local land charges are restrictions or prohibitions on the use of property or land, such as planning permissions or listed building status.

A search of the national register will reveal whether a property is subject to a charge.

This means buyers will be able to make a quicker informed decision about the purchase by completing the searches themselves from July 27.

This means our customers will benefit from a transparent user-friendly service

Councillor Keith Merrie MBE, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Infrastructure at NWLDC, said: "The buying and selling market is booming right now, and we know our district is a very desirable place to live.

"We are pleased to work with HM Land Registry to be among the early adopters of the new register.

"This means our customers will benefit from a transparent user-friendly service, making it much simpler for people who are looking to buy homes in North West Leicestershire."

This digitisation supports wider government priorities to make property transactions quicker, simpler and cheaper.

"Anyone can access the register's Search for local land charges service. Business customers can also access it through their portal account or Business Gateway.

Users of the national register can download a personal search free of charge or buy an official search for £15.

This will allow unlimited repeat searches for six months. All information is delivered in a standard easy-to-read format, with geospatial maps.

When all local authorities in England and Wales transfer their local land charges service to the national register, it will contain more than 25 million charges.

Data users will find it easier to search, merge and digest the information, while entrepreneurs and innovators will be able to develop new social and economic solutions that benefit the wider UK economy.

For more information visit GOV.UK.