HM Land Registry launches new property data pilot
Updated 3 October 2025
Applies to England and Wales
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A new pilot to investigate how improving access to key property datasets held by local authorities can benefit the home buying and selling process begins today (Monday 2 June). The 10-month pilot will explore the impact of making the building regulations and highways datasets digitally available, alongside the national local land charges (LLC) service.
This initiative is part of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)’s plans to improve the home buying and selling process. Research shows that these datasets cause some of the longest delays in property searches. Improving access to this data will help speed up transactions and reduce the number of fall-throughs.
Up to seven local authorities from across England and Wales will be invited to take part in the pilot. They will reflect different local conditions, such as metropolitan and rural locations, and different levels of digitalisation. Local authorities will work closely with HM Land Registry who will provide support throughout the duration of the pilot. We also want to understand how these changes will affect home buyers and sellers, so we will work closely with a group of consumers who are at the local search stage of buying properties.
Rhonda Griffiths, Head of Programme & Policy in the Local Land Charges Programme, said:
“This pilot is a further step towards a faster, more efficient property market. By unlocking more critical data, and making it accessible earlier in the transaction process, we can reduce uncertainty and support better decision-making.
“The delivery of a 21st century data-driven property market cannot be achieved in isolation; it is essential that everyone plays their part. This will make the buying and selling process even more transparent for everyone.”
The pilots will complete in March 2026, and the results will be evaluated by HM Land Registry and MHCLG to inform future government policy.