Planning

Worcester City Council manages trees on 290 parks and green spaces.

Trees are managed for public safety and the environmental benefits they provide.

Ash trees are found in woodland, urban and rural settings.

As well as being an attractive part of the landscape ash trees provide several other benefits, including providing a habitat for other species.

Ash Dieback is caused by a fungus called Hymenoscyphus fraxineus (formerly known as Chalara fraxinea), which is native to eastern Asia.

The disease is now widespread in Europe, where it has been observed damaging ash trees since the 1990s.

It was first observed in the UK in 2012, although subsequent research found sites where it has been present since at least 2005.

The spread can be caused by spores from the fungus travelling in the wind or via other contamination and infect the foliage of other trees.

Ash Dieback leads to leaf loss, dead branches and can cause lesions at the base of the tree, while also making it more prone to secondary infections.

When trees become infected as the disease advances, the trees can become brittle.

With younger trees, the progress of the disease can be rapid and lead to entire tree death within one or two years.

With older trees, decline may be slower, but the safety of the trees needs to be managed.

pdf You can find an Ash Dieback Disease Guide for tree owners here. (1.44 MB)

How to identify ash dieback

The best time to inspect trees for Ash Dieback is in the summer, when the symptoms are more obvious.

There is a range of signs that can help identify infected trees:

• Dead or dying tops of trees and abnormal clusters of twigs resulting from re-growth.
• Wilting leaves are visible in summer. 
• Lesions or wounds on the branches/stalks and sometimes at the base of trees.
• Dieback of leaves, which become dry and blackened.
• Small white fruiting bodies growing on ash leaf stalks.
• Staining of the wood under the bark.

It can be difficult to identify the symptoms in larger trees.

A Forestry Commission video to help identify Ash Dieback is available here.

What can be done by the public to help prevent and minimise spread

There are simple steps that everybody can do to help reduce the spread of Ash Dieback.

These include:

• Clean your shoes before and after visiting a wooded area or areas where there ash trees are located.
• Think twice about taking plants or leaves from the countryside, as this may result in the spread of Ash Dieback.
• Wash your car or bike wheels to remove mud, plants and leaves.
• Stick to footpaths in areas where you think Ash Dieback might be present, to prevent accidentally the fungus to other areas.
• Gardeners with ash trees can help stop the Ash Dieback spread by collecting fallen ash leaves and burning, burying or deep composting them.

If you spot a tree which you believe has Ash Dieback, you can inform the City Council on the Report It section of our website under the ‘Trees - Dangerous/diseased or fallen tree’ section

What measures the Council is taking to manage the disease

Any trees whether ash or other species are subject to failures.

The Council accesses trees and manages them using a risk-based system.

When trees become hazardous and are a risk to public safety, necessary works are considered and implemented.

Only trees that are high risk are either reduced or removed. Trees that pose a low risk to public safety are retained.

Our findings so far

During 2024-25, the Council has carried out visual surveying of its ash trees to compare up to date assessments against existing data/partial data recorded in 2022-24.

To date, 269 sites have been surveyed, with only 12 remaining. The remaining 12 sites are not anticipated to contain significant numbers of ash trees given their size and site characteristics.

The work to plot and zone prominent ash trees has also been carried out.

Plotting has mapped the location of ash trees whilst zoning will record which tree(s) could present a high risk to public safety.

The information gathered will inform the regularity of future inspections to monitor and manage the progression of ash dieback disease.

Tree data recorded in 2022/23 identified 21 ash trees for removal. A number of these trees have been re-assessed in July and August 2025, when signs of ash dieback could be observed.

Due to their low-risk value, removal is no longer considered necessary. The remainder of these trees will be managed during the next 12 months as part of the tree safety works programme, prioritised according to risk

Of the 269 sites surveyed in 2025 (approximately 95% of sites), a total of 50 individual trees and five groups of ash trees require works. While some work is attributed to Ash Dieback (ADB), most of the recommended interventions are essential Remedial Tree Safety Works.

Tree inspections will continue throughout 2025/26 to complete the remainder of sites.

Welcome to the Worcester City Council Local Land Charges section. We aim to provide you with a guide to searches, fees, and other relevant information regarding the Local Land Charges search process.

Our current turnaround times for Official Searches are 10 working days

Migration of LLC to HMLR

On 10 February 2025, the responsibility of the Local Land Charges Register, and production of LLC1 searches, migrated from Worcester City Council to HM Land Registry which allows users to search for information online instantly and enables buying decisions to be made earlier in the conveyancing process.

This migration means any new LLC1 searches will need to be requested through HM Land Registry Portal, Business Gateway, and at GOV.UK's search for local land charges page. GOV.UK also provides guidance on the Local Land Charges Programme.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have any questions or require any assistance following the migration. 

What is a Local Land Charges search?

The City Council's Local Land Charges section maintains the statutory Local Land Charges Register. It also collates information from various other Council departments such as Development Services to enable the completion of a Local Land Charges search.

A Local Land Charges search forms part of the conveyancing process and is carried out to ascertain if there are any matters affecting the property or land which a prospective purchaser should be aware of. It is designed to protect potential purchasers of property and will tell them about agreements and restrictions that might affect their decision to go ahead with the purchase.

Requests for a Local Land Charges search are normally made by a Solicitors or Licensed Conveyancer acting on behalf of the purchaser of a property.

• The first part of the search – the LLC1 form - will reveal all the charges registered against the property, for example, Conditional Planning Permissions, Smoke Control Orders, and Tree Preservation Orders. These charges are binding on successive owners of the property or land.
• The second part of the search – the CON29 form - will provide other relevant information that is held by the various Departments of the Council, such as Local Plan information, nearby road schemes and Notices etc. under the Planning Acts.

Worcester City Council - Local Land Charges search fees

Basic search fee

The cost of Local Land Charges searches (including VAT where required) received from 1 April 2026 will be as follows:-

CON29R	£163.50

Additional fees - optional enquiries

CON29	4 - £26.40 5 - £12.90 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 - £2.46 9 - £4.92 12 - £6.48 21 – No fee as Worcester City Council is unable to answer this question.
CON29 O – Optional Enquiry 22	£37.80
CON29 O – Supplementary Enquiries	£34.92 each

The above prices apply if the CON29 O forms are submitted together with the CON29 R forms.

Extra parcels of land:

CON29	£54.60 per parcel
Expedited Search Fee	£44.58

Fees are subject to any change in VAT status

Submission of Official Searches

Our preferred method of receiving search requests is submission online via either LLCSearches or NLIS: ­­­­

Option 1: LLCSearches

Submit and review your searches online via LLCSearches.co.uk.

Register for searches

Payments can be made via BACS: For regular customers we are able to accept payment via BACS. If you wish to pay by BACS please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for details. You will be required to provide remittance advice before the search result is released.

Option 2: NLIS

• You can carry out your search electronically via the web using the National Land Information System (NLIS) Hub. Worcester City Council is signed up to level 3 and can receive and return search requests online.
• Details of the search fees are available when you register with the NLIS website.

Option 3: Post

To ensure there are no unnecessary delays when a search is submitted, you or your Solicitor need to supply the following:

• Correctly completed search forms.
• One copy of an OS plan, the boundary of the property to be searched outlined in red.
• One copy of any Additional Questions [if applicable].
• Correct fee – please note payments should to be made via BACS where possible and you should contact the Land Charges team via email regarding making the payment.  If cheques are used the search will not be processed until the cheque has cleared.
• For administrative reasons, incomplete or incorrect searches will be returned.

Searches should be sent to:

Worcester City Council
Land Charges Section
The Guildhall
High Street
Worcester
WR1 2EY.

Please be advised however that our Land Charges Officer works remotely and therefore the posting of searches may lead to a delay in returning your search results.

Contacting the Land Charges team

Our preferred method of contact is email to ensure that queries can be responded to in priority order.

Email : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

If you prefer to contact the Land Charges office via telephone you will be directed to the Customer Service Centre where you can leave a message for the Land Charges office. Your call will then be returned by the Land Charges Officer.

Telephone: 01905 722023 or 01905 722024

Personal searches from the Land Charges Section

As from 10 February 2025, Personal Searches can be completed at HM Land Registry HM Land Registry Portal, Business Gateway and at GOV.UK's search for local land charges page. GOV.UK also provides guidance on the Local Land Charges Programme.

Worcester City Council permits inspection of the CON 29 data, originating from our local authority, on our Local Land Charges portal, which is freely available via our online maps.

Please ensure you read our terms & conditions and  pdf hints & tips (412 KB)  before using the site for the first time.

Please note that this portal will only show data that is held by Worcester City Council and for any other replies you will still need to contact: South Worcestershire Building Control, Worcestershire County Council Highways Department and Severn Trent Water Authority for replies to Building Regulations, highways, water, etc.

You can view our paper planning register index cards online (1947- March 2016) along with viewing current and historic planning applications on our Planning Search page.

Where can I get additional CON29 Information

Please refer to our online maps.

Any queries regarding CON29 data, available under EIR, should be directed to the originating department/organisation.

Further information may also be available via the following:

Register/Information	Available online at
Planning Register	plan.worcester.gov.uk
Building Control Register	www.southworcestershirebuildingcontrol.gov.uk
South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP)	www.swdevelopmentplan.org
Conservation Areas	www.worcester.gov.uk/planning/heritage/conservation-areas
Assets of Community Value Register	www.worcester.gov.uk/community-centres-development/localism-and-your-community/community-right-to-bid
Contaminated Land Register	www.worcsregservices.gov.uk/all-services/pollution/technical-pollution-public-register/

 

Register/Information	Available through email application to
Planning Enforcement Register	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tree Preservation Orders	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Register/Information	Available from
Public Rights of Way (online)	www.worcestershire.gov.uk/council-services/environment/countryside-and-leisure/public-rights-way
Highways Information (email)	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Commons Registrations (email)	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Housing matters (email)	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Copy planning documents:

Most copy documents for planning matters will be available on our website. However, requests for copies of planning applications, S106 Agreements, TPO's not on our website will need to be made in writing to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and include the relevant reference number and the exact documents that are required. Copies of some documents may incur a fee.

Frequently asked questions

Who carries out the Local Land Charges search?

Search requests are usually received from the Solicitor or Licensed Conveyancer acting for the purchaser of a property. Personal or LLC1 searches can be made by anyone, through the HM Land Registry Portal as explained above.

What area do you cover?

We cover the area inside the Worcester City Council boundary.

Adjacent areas outside our boundary are covered by Malvern Hills District Council or Wychavon District Council as appropriate. You can contact their land charges teams at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. respectively.

How can I be sure that a property lies within the Worcester City Council boundary?

You may find that the Government’s website assists you.

If you are unable to determine whether your property lies within our boundary, please email the Land Charges office.

What do I do if my search covers more than one property?

Please contact the Land Charges office for a quote.

Does a commercial search cost more than a residential search?

No – the fee is the same.

What is the difference between a personal search and a local authority search?

A personal search will provide you with information similar to that of an LLC1 request but its content is your own responsibility and its accuracy is not guaranteed by the Council. A CON29 form is not used for a personal search enquiry and if you wish to ask any similar questions you must approach each individual Council department yourself. You may be charged for any information that is provided following such requests.

Can I submit my request by email?

Yes, but our preferred method of receiving search requests is submission online via either LLCSearches or NLIS.

Can I receive my search results by email?

All search results are returned by email.

Do you answer drainage enquiries?

No – please contact Severn Trent Water.

Will the road information reply tell me if all the roads abutting my property are adopted?

Our search reply will only refer to the road named in the property address given in Box B on the CON29 form. If you wish to have information regarding any other roads that abut your property you will need to name them (up to a maximum of three) in Box C and clearly mark them on your search plan.

Do I send my Commons Registration Search to you?

Yes, if it is part of a bigger search. You can submit this using the CON29 O form, ticking box 22 and adding the current fee to your search cost.

If it is being submitted independently you will need to contact Legal and Democratic Services at Worcestershire County Council. A fee will apply. Contact them at

Worcestershire County Council
Legal & Democratic Services
Spetchley Road
Worcester
WR5 2NP

or:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Can Land Charges tell me who owns a certain property or piece of land?

No – you will need to contact the Land Registry.

Can we pay by BACS?

Yes. Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we’ll send you our bank details.

Worcester City Council, the Museum of Royal Worcester and the Royal Porcelain Works are seeking to commission an original work of public art to respond to the city of Worcester’s world-renowned porcelain heritage.

The prominent site-specific public artwork or artworks will use creative approaches to celebrate Worcester porcelain, its history and special material qualities.

The new public artwork will sit within the environs of the Museum of Royal Worcester and will surprise, delight and raise awareness and appreciation of the city’s porcelain heritage.

The successful artist or artist collective will be provided with:

• A £75,000 artist commission fee (funded from developer Section 106 monies) and the opportunity to create a prominent site-specific public artwork or artworks using creative approaches to celebrate Worcester porcelain, its history and special material qualities
• Time to engage with the largest collection of Worcester porcelain in the world and associated rich archive held at the Museum of Royal Worcester to inspire and inform their ideas and the resulting installation
• The opportunity to engage with local residents, site stakeholders, ex-factory workers and other networks to develop and inform the project.

For full details of the project, the commissioning process, and the terms and conditions, please read ALL of the following documents.

• pdf Artist’s Brief (337 KB)
• pdf Appendix A – site context (2.88 MB)
• pdf Appendix B – possible locations (2.26 MB)

How to apply

The application must adhere to the requirements set out in the Artist’s Brief and be submitted by email as a single pdf document.

Proposals must be emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 12pm on Monday 31 July 2023.

 An example of iconic Royal Worcester Porcelain

The Planning Department delivers a range of services relating to local planning policy development and the determination of planning applications where there are significant opportunities to protect and enhance the natural environment. The Development Management team considers planning applications taking into account any impact development proposals or the change of use of land or buildings might have on the natural environment, wildlife and biodiversity generally. Where necessary planning permissions will include requirements for mitigation measures and biodiversity enhancement. We also consider applications for work to trees that are protected by a tree preservation order and notifications for works to trees in conservation areas.

Biodiversity and planningTrees