The government has not said when free access to ownership data for large plots in England and Wales will begin, despite a March pledge to open up the Land Registry. Campaigners say the delay keeps ownership of key land opaque.
01Summary
- 01Emma Reynolds announced in March that the paywall covering much of the Land Registry would be partly lifted.
- 02Defra said it would work with HM Land Registry this year to provide free spatial land ownership data for larger properties covering most of England and Wales, excluding almost all homeowners.
- 03HM Land Registry said in July that plans were at a very early stage and that timelines, release format and any attributes were still undecided.
- 04In August, a Land Registry spokesperson said it was not clear which parts of the data would be made public, who would access it, or by what means.
- 05Campaigner Guy Shrubsole said the information would help councils, expose river pollution and support nature restoration.
02Why it matters
The delay means the public still cannot easily see who owns large areas of land, including sites linked to river catchments, grouse moors and peatland. That limits transparency for local communities and decision-makers.
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