Commercial Property Search Packs

Specialists in delivering conveyancing information to the property industry

Commercial Property Search Packs

Commercial Property Search Pack Options

Why Use The Conveyancing Report Agency?

Why Commercial Property Search Packs?

Quite simply, because you, our clients, asked for them!

Three years ago we successfully pioneered and introduced packs of search information for the residential market, which you may know as the Conveyancing Information Pack (CIP). These are now the cornerstone of our business, and many of our clients have asked if we can produce the equivalent for their commercial divisions.

Accordingly, we have developed a range of Commercial Search Packs, which are designed to provide core search reports for the vast majority of commercial property transactions. In preparing these we use a comprehensive range of regulatory and private data sources to ensure that you are provided with the most up-to-date, relevant and accurate information available.

There are a number of key reasons why more detailed and comprehensive search reports are required for commercial, as opposed to residential, transactions.

• There is often a change in land use involved (for example from industrial to office / retail, or to residential) where there could be significant risk that the land has contamination issues from its previous use.
• It is estimated by the Environment Agency that the UK has around 300,000 hectares of contaminated land.
• The “remediation requirements” for contaminated land were significantly upgraded in the mid-1980’s – so even if the land has not changed use since then, you may still be at risk.
• The liability cover provided on environmental and water search reports designed for residential purposes is severely restricted if a residential report is used for a commercial property transaction, usually to £5,000 or less. Any transaction involving a limited company (even for a small residential development) will be classed as commercial for this purpose.

Why purchase a Pack?

The same advantages apply as for the residential market.

• A genuine one stop solution for all the specific searches you require – packs can be specifically tailored to your requirements (i.e. mining searches in appropriates areas).
• One point of contact, saving time and effort and thus improving efficiency and speed for your staff
• A competitive pricing structure and a significant saving versus ordering individually
• Monthly billing and payment – again saving time and cost.
• An average turn around time of just 5 – 7 working days

The Searches

Personal Local Authority Searches

Our comprehensive Personal Local Authority Search for commercial property includes Part 2, Enquiry 5, Public Paths and Byways as standard. All other Part 2 enquiries can be added if required.

If land is being acquired with more than one title there may be an additional charge, which varies by local authority, and you will be advised if this applies.

Official Water and Drainage Commercial Search (CON29DW)

The Commercial Water Search provides a more in-depth report on all aspects of water and drainage for commercial sites. In addition to the standard answers for a residential search, the commercial report includes data on wayleaves, easements and trade effluent, and any other relevant information

Environmental Searches

To assist in providing specialist advice we use the services of one of the leaders in the field, our partner Groundsure.

Groundsure is the only company in the UK to offer in-house environmental consultancy together with the most advanced historical land use database in the market. Their advice is commercially focused, technically robust, user friendly, and carries comprehensive PI cover.

As well as the reports themselves, Groundsure can also provide commercial insurance solutions that meet all the current market requirements, with policies providing either annual cover or a longer 10 year period. They are also able to act for clients if detailed site investigations and remediation advice is required, and deal with the relevant statutory authorities.
                                                           
Three reports are available, which are designed for different types of commercial development:

Groundsure Risk Screening

An entry level risk screening report, with full environment consultant opinion, IEMA accredited, together with a commentary on the suitability of purchase. The experts review is based on historical mapping at the scale of 1:10,000.

Click here to download a Groundsure Commercial Risk Screening Product Card

Groundsure Environmental Review

A more detailed expert assessment of both the available historical Ordnance Survey mapping at the scale of 1:2,500 to a minimum radius of 250m from the study site boundary, and also of the specified environmental data for the requested site. This is supplemented by data drawn from the database generated by a systematic analysis of 1:10,000 and 1:10,560 scale mapping.

Click here to download a Groundsure Commercial Environmental Review Product Card

Developer Environmental Report

A desk based risk study, designed to answer 4 key questions that are pertinent to a potential developer of brownfield sites: 

1) What is the most significant potential source of contamination identified?
2) What is the most significant source of soil gas that may impact the redevelopment of the study site?
3) Has previous infilling been identified on site that may affect foundations?
4) Is some sort of intrusive investigation likely to be required at the study site? 

In assessing specific site risks the environmental sensitivity of the study site are considered.  The potential for specific industries or landfill sites to generate contamination can have a detrimental affect on any proposed development.

Click here to download a Groundsure Developer Environmental Review Product Card

We have recommended one of these reports in each of the Commercial Packs.

Company Conveyancing Search

Company Conveyancing Searches are used when a company or property owned by a company is sold to a third party. The search is usually one of the first background checks the purchaser will make before initiating further negotiations resulting in a Full Search being required.