Charges for Property Searches

Transparency in relation to setting of charges

The Local Authorities (England) (Charges for Property Searches) Regulations 2008 Section 9(1) requires the local authority to publish a statement setting out -

(a) The estimates the local authority has made under regulation 6(2) (estimates of total cost and estimate of numbers of requests) in respect of the unit charge for the following financial.year;

(b) the basis for those estimates: and

(c) the amount of the unit charge it proposes for the following financial year.

Hampshire County Council has set its charges for the financial year commencing 1st April 2011 at £18.35 on the following basis:

Costs	£1000s
Staff	£137.6
Overheads	£73.6
Development	£10.0
Net over/under recovery 2007/8 to 2009/10	£91.1
Total	£312.3

Estimated number of searches (3 year average) 16,990

Unit cost per search = £18.35

The charge for the financial year commencing 1st April 2012 will be £18.75 and is claculated as follows:

Costs	£1000s
Staff	£136
Overheads	£55
Development	£10
Net over/under recovery 2007/9 to 2009/11	£118
Total	£319

Estimated number of searches (3 year average) 17,000

Unit Cost per search = £18.75