These Rules prescribe the fees payable to the Chief Land Registrar for various services relating to local land charges affecting land in Wales. Those services are provided under the Local Land Charges Act 1975 and the Local Land Charges Rules 2018. The fees prescribed in these Rules replace the fees specified by rule 14 of and Schedule 3 to the Local Land Charges Rules 1977 for similar services relating to local land charges provided by local authorities in Wales. These Rules have effect in the administrative area of a local authority on or after the date specified in a notice given by the Chief Land Registrar to that local authority in accordance with Part 4 of Schedule 5 to the Infrastructure Act 2015.

The services for which fees are payable are set out in the Schedule. Rows (1) to (4) are services in connection with light obstruction notices, which are a particular type of local land charge. Under paragraph (5), a fee is payable for an official search of the register. But that fee is not payable if an application for such a search is received within 6 months of an earlier application by the same person, in relation to the same land, for which a fee was paid.

Rule 3 prescribes when the fees for these services are payable and how the fees are to be paid.

Rule 4 revokes rule 14 and Schedule 3 to the Local Land Charges Rules 1977 as they apply to land in Wales.

As a consequence of rule 4, these Rules amend the Local Land Charges Rules 2018 to ensure clarity regarding the revocation of the Local Land Charges Rules 1977.

The Welsh Ministers’ Code of Practice on the carrying out of Regulatory Impact Assessments was considered in relation to these Rules. As a result, a regulatory impact assessment has been prepared as to the likely costs and benefits of complying with these Rules. A copy can be obtained from the Welsh Government, Local Government Finance and Workforce Partnerships Division, Crown Buildings, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NQ.