Interpretation2

1

In these Regulations, “access to property records” means access to property records granted by a local authority in any of the following ways—

a

allowing a person to inspect or search property records at a place designated by the authority for doing so;

b

allowing the making of or providing copies of, property records; or

c

the electronic transmission of property records, or copies of such records,

and in these Regulations, the expression “access to property records” is to be construed accordingly.

2

In these Regulations, a reference to a local authority “answering enquiries about a property” means—

a

the answering by the authority of any specific oral or written enquiries from a person about a property or property records; or

b

the carrying out by the authority of any activities for the purposes of answering such enquiries.

3

In these Regulations—

  • “financial year” means a period of twelve consecutive months ending with 31st March;

  • “free statutory information” means information required to be provided by a local authority under an enactment, where that enactment expressly—

    1. a

      prohibits a local authority from making a charge for doing so; or

    2. b

      requires that the authority provides the information free of charge;

  • “local authority” means—

    1. a

      a county council;

    2. b

      a district council;

    3. c

      a London Borough Council;

    4. d

      the Common Council of the City of London; and

    5. e

      the Council of the Isles of Scilly;

  • “internal transaction” means the granting of access to property records by one department of a local authority to another department of that authority;

  • “property” means a specified building or structure or specified land in relation to which property records are held by a local authority;

  • “property records”—

    1. a

      includes documents, registers, files and archives (held in any form by the local authority), which relate to a property;

    2. b

      includes information derived from such documents, registers, files and archives; but

    3. c

      excludes the local land charges register kept under section 3(2) of the Local Land Charges Act 19752;

  • “request” includes a written, oral, electronic or automated request; and

  • “unit charge” means the charge described in regulation 6(2).