Ownership queries

The council has maps showing the boundaries of all land owned by the council.

We also have details of all acquisitions and disposals together with leases, lettings, licenses, easements and rights of way.

Information is held in a computerised system of large scale ordnance survey maps

• Does the Council have records of all lands and buildings within Sunderland?
• How do I establish who is responsible for a specific boundary?
• How do I establish who owns land and property not in the ownership of the council?
• How do I find out about land in council ownership?
• How long will it take to deal with my query?

Does the Council have records of all lands and buildings within Sunderland?

No, we only keep records relating to council-owned land which are based on the deeds that we hold.

How do I establish who is responsible for a specific boundary?

If it is privately owned property you will have to refer to your own deeds, your solicitor or the Land Registry. If it is council owned property, or adjoining council land then we may be able to establish responsibility from the documents we hold within our deeds.

How do I establish who owns lands and property not in the ownership of the council?

The Land Registry can provide information in most cases. They will make a charge for the information requested.

How do I find out about land in council ownership?

We need to know the boundaries of the land in question and if possible the full postal address. The boundaries are often difficult to describe precisely over the telephone without looking at a detailed plan. A plan showing the exact boundaries of the land should be sent with your query in writing. You can send this by post or email.

How long will it take to deal with my query?

Straightforward queries can be answered in a few minutes or by a return call. However some enquiries may involve the retrieval and study of deeds and documents, or the involvement of other council officers and sections. Such queries could take several days or even weeks, depending upon the work involved and its complexity.

For further information you can contact the Business Services team.

You can see the list of Council Property Interests, which is published as part of the Government Transparency Agenda