Register for more security on land

Mar 3 2008 by Sam Wood, The Journal

LAND Registry staff will be advising North East farmers about the voluntary land registration scheme this month.

Staff will visit Hexham Auction Mart on Friday next week for the first in a series of visits to meet farmers and landowners to talk about the benefits of the scheme.

The initiative is part of a drive by the Land Registry – the government department responsible for registering land ownership in England and Wales – to help landowners identify and register what they own.

About 36% of England and Wales remains unregistered. In the North East as a whole just over 68% of land has now been registered – more than 1.458m acres (590,000 hectares) in total.

Register development manager for the North East Harry Charlton said: “It is important that farmers and other landowners think about the future and consider registering their land.

“Many farmers from across the North East attend Hexham Auction Mart and we thought it would be an ideal opportunity to talk to them about the benefits of land registration.

“We have a straightforward and cost-effective system for checking and registering who owns what and we’re currently offering a 25% discount on the fees for those who voluntarily register their land.”

Registration gives landowners greater security of title, providing with better protection against claims of adverse possession. To find out more, see www.landregistry.gov.uk; call 0800 432-0432 or email registerland@landregistry.gsi.gov.uk