Housing Minister urges Land Registry to clear backlog

The Government has urged the Land Registry to make clearing its backlog one of its priorities for the year ahead.

Housing minister Matthew Pennycook has made the call in a letter to Land Registry chairman Neil Sachdev.

Other requests also include getting the Land Registry to support digitising the home moving process and leasehold reform.

The latest Land Registry data shows most information requests are now processed in one day. Its data also shows 36.6% of changes to registered titles are done within a day but 31.8% are still taking more than three months.

This can skew public data such as the Land Registry House Price Index.

The Land Registry’s response didn’t directly address the backlog but said it was behind aims to make the home buying process more efficient.

Over the next year, the organisation said it expects to:

Next year, we expect to:

  • Digitise 36 local authorities’ LLC data
  • Start/complete the MHCLG local authority property data pilots
  • Introduce AI-driven services to support casework and improve efficiency
  • Implement a new digital ID standard under DSIT’s Data (Use and Access) Bill
  • Enhance public access to property data

But it also implies that it may need more money in the Spending Review.

The Land Registry letter said:

“The investment required to modernise our services is significant, particularly as we work to overcome inherited technical debt and transition to AI-driven, automated processes.

“These foundational improvements are essential to delivering the efficiencies, transparency, and market resilience that both government and industry need.

“We appreciate the close working relationship between our teams and the alignment of our strategy, business plan, and Spending Review submission with your department’s objectives. “Your continued support in maintaining a strong link between our income and reinvestment will be crucial to ensuring long-term success.”

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