The Land Registry has signed up its latest council to its centralised digital land charges system to help speed up the home buying process.

Milton Keynes District Council has joined the Land Registry’s Local Land Charges Register.

It allows local land charges searches for home buying to be done digitally with the Land Registry rather than having to go through the council.

The system launched in 2018 and several other local authorities have signed up including Liverpool, Carlisle and Norwich city councils as well as district councils in East Lindsey and Peterborough.

Pete Marland, leader of Milton Keynes Council, said: “We’re proud to be among the first local authorities to move our land charges and personal searches function onto a new national digital database.

“This is a testament to the rigorous processes that the team have put in place, and the new database will help us improve the service even further.

“My thanks go out to council colleagues for working collaboratively to help achieve this.”

Karina Singh, director of transformation at the Land Registry, added: “Milton Keynes is the latest local authority to offer its local property customers instant, easy access to Land Registry’s digital Local Land Charges Register.

“We are working hard with local authorities like Milton Keynes to ensure customers can obtain the information they need quickly, to allow informed property buying decisions, even during lockdown.

“This is making the conveyancing process quicker and simpler for everyone.”