TA6 Section 3: Notices from Local Authorities

Section 3 of the TA6 form is one of those parts that sellers often rush through, assuming it does not apply to them. In most cases they are right — but when they are wrong, the consequences can be serious. This section asks about formal notices you have received from local authorities, government departments, or neighbours, and it covers a surprisingly wide range of matters.

Getting this section right matters because the buyer's solicitor will almost certainly order a local authority search that reveals planning applications, road schemes, and other proposals in your area. If your TA6 answers contradict what that search uncovers, it raises immediate red flags — and could lead to additional enquiries, delays, or even the buyer pulling out.

This guide explains exactly what Section 3 asks, what types of notices you need to look for, how to check whether any apply to your property, and the common mistakes sellers make when answering.

What does TA6 Section 3 cover?

Section 3 of the TA6 is titled "Notices and Proposals". It asks whether you have received any notices or proposals from:

• A local authority or government department
• A neighbour
• A residents' association or management company

The question is deliberately broad. It captures any formal correspondence that could affect the property or the buyer's decision to purchase. The key types of notice to consider are outlined below.

Types of notices to disclose

Planning notices

If you have received a notification about a planning application — whether on your own property or on neighbouring land — it must be disclosed. Local authorities are required to notify neighbours of certain planning applications under the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015. You may have received a letter or seen a site notice posted on a lamp post nearby.

Even if the application was refused, withdrawn, or never acted upon, you should still disclose it. The buyer's solicitor will want to understand what has been proposed in the area, not just what has been approved.

Road schemes and highway proposals

Notices about proposed road schemes, new highways, road widening, traffic calming measures, or changes to rights of way must be disclosed. These can come from local highway authorities, National Highways (formerly Highways England), or the Department for Transport. A proposed bypass or new junction near your property could significantly affect its value and desirability.

You can check whether any road schemes are planned in your area by searching the National Highways website or contacting your local authority's highways department. The local authority search ordered by the buyer's solicitor will reveal many of these, so omitting them creates an obvious inconsistency.

Conservation area designations

If your property is within a conservation area, this should be disclosed. Conservation area status is designated under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 and imposes additional restrictions on what you can do with the property. These include:

• The need for conservation area consent before demolishing any building within the area
• Stricter controls on alterations to the exterior appearance of buildings
• Protection of trees — you must give six weeks' notice to the council before carrying out work on any tree within a conservation area
• Restrictions on permitted development rights, potentially requiring planning permission for work that would otherwise be allowed

Check your local council's website for a map of designated conservation areas. If you have received a letter confirming designation (or a proposed designation), disclose it.

Tree preservation orders

A tree preservation order (TPO) is made by the local planning authority to protect specific trees or areas of woodland. If a TPO applies to any tree on your property, you cannot cut down, lop, top, uproot, or wilfully damage or destroy the tree without the council's consent. Breach of a TPO is a criminal offence under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, with fines of up to £20,000 in a magistrates' court.

If you have received a TPO notice, or if you are aware of a TPO on any tree within your property boundaries, disclose it. Buyers need to know because a TPO may restrict future development plans such as extensions, driveways, or garden redesigns.

Listed building notices

If your property is a listed building — or if you have received a notice about proposed listing — this must be disclosed. Listed building status under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 means that any alteration, extension, or demolition that affects the character of the building requires listed building consent in addition to any planning permission.

There are three grades of listing in England: Grade I, Grade II*, and Grade II. Historic England maintains the National Heritage List, which you can search online to confirm your property's listing status.

Compulsory purchase orders

A compulsory purchase order (CPO) allows a public authority to acquire land without the owner's consent, typically for infrastructure projects such as new roads, railways, or regeneration schemes. If you have received any correspondence about a CPO — even a preliminary consultation — you must disclose it. CPOs can have a dramatic impact on property value and the buyer's willingness to proceed.

CPOs are governed by the Acquisition of Land Act 1981 and the Compulsory Purchase Act 1965. If a CPO has been confirmed but not yet enacted, the buyer needs to know that part or all of the property could be compulsorily acquired.

Other notices to consider

Beyond the main categories above, you should also disclose:

• Building preservation notices — temporary protection applied to buildings that are being considered for listing
• Smoke control area notices — if your property is within a designated smoke control area under the Clean Air Act 1993
• Notices from residents' associations — such as proposals for communal maintenance works, changes to management arrangements, or new charges
• Enforcement notices — if the local authority has served an enforcement notice for breach of planning control on your property or nearby land
• Community infrastructure levy (CIL) notices — if the property is subject to a CIL liability notice

How to check for notices affecting your property

Before completing Section 3, take these practical steps to ensure you have not overlooked anything:

1. Search your files. Go through any letters, emails, or documents from your local authority, government departments, or neighbours. Pay attention to anything from the planning department, highways team, building control, or environmental health.
2. Check the local planning portal. Most local authorities publish planning applications online. Search by your address and postcode to see current and historic applications in your area. The national Planning Portal at planningportal.co.uk also provides a search function.
3. Check conservation area and TPO registers. Your council's website should have maps showing conservation areas and a register of tree preservation orders. If you cannot find these online, telephone the planning department.
4. Search the National Heritage List. Visit historicengland.org.uk and search the National Heritage List for England to check whether your property is listed or within a registered park or garden.
5. Check for road schemes. Search nationalhighways.co.uk for major road projects and contact your local highway authority for smaller schemes.
6. Ask your solicitor. Your conveyancer can order preliminary searches that will reveal many of these matters. Completing searches early — as part of getting sale-ready — is one of the most effective ways to identify notices you may have forgotten about.

Common mistakes sellers make on Section 3

Based on the types of additional enquiries that buyers' solicitors regularly raise, here are the most common errors:

Consequences of non-disclosure

The information you provide on the TA6 is legally significant. If a buyer discovers after completion that you knew about a notice but failed to disclose it, they may have a claim for misrepresentation under the Misrepresentation Act 1967. There are three categories:

• Fraudulent misrepresentation — deliberate concealment. The buyer can claim full damages and potentially have the sale reversed.
• Negligent misrepresentation — careless answers where you failed to take reasonable steps to check. Damages may be awarded.
• Innocent misrepresentation — a genuine belief that your answer was correct. The buyer may still rescind the contract.

In addition, the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 make it an offence for traders (including estate agents acting on your behalf) to omit material information. The National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team has issued guidance making clear that notices affecting a property should be disclosed in marketing materials and property information forms.

The safest approach is simple: disclose everything you know about and take reasonable steps to check for anything you might have missed.

What the buyer's solicitor will do with your answers

After reviewing your TA6, the buyer's solicitor will typically order a local authority search (LLC1 and CON29R) that independently reveals many of the matters Section 3 asks about. This search will show:

• Planning and building regulations applications and decisions
• Conservation area and listed building status
• Tree preservation orders
• Compulsory purchase orders
• Road proposals and highway schemes
• Smoke control orders
• Financial charges registered against the property

If your TA6 answers align with the search results, the transaction proceeds smoothly. If there are discrepancies — a notice the search reveals that you did not disclose — the solicitor will raise additional enquiries, which adds time and creates suspicion. In the worst case, it can lead to the buyer withdrawing.

How to answer Section 3 when you are unsure

If you genuinely do not know whether any notices apply, do not simply leave the section blank or tick "No" without checking. Instead:

1. Carry out the checks described above — search your files, check the planning portal, and review the council's registers.
2. If after checking you are still not aware of any notices, answer "Not known — I have checked my files and the local planning portal and am not aware of any notices."
3. If you are aware of a notice but unsure of the details, provide as much information as you can and suggest the buyer's solicitor requests further details from the relevant authority.

An honest "Not known" with an explanation of what you have checked is far safer than a confident "No" that turns out to be wrong. Solicitors understand that sellers may not have perfect knowledge, but they expect you to have taken reasonable steps.

Practical tips for completing Section 3

• Keep copies of all notices. When you receive any notice from a local authority, file it carefully. When the time comes to sell, you will have a complete record to refer to.
• Include reference numbers and dates. If you are disclosing a planning notice, include the application reference number, the date of the notice, and the outcome if known. This saves the buyer's solicitor time and reduces follow-up enquiries.
• Attach supporting documents. Where possible, attach copies of notices to your TA6 as supporting evidence. This provides clarity and demonstrates transparency.
• Check before listing, not after. Completing the TA6 early — before you even list your property — gives you time to research notices properly rather than rushing through under pressure once a buyer is waiting.

Sources

• Law Society of England and Wales — Property Information Form (TA6), 4th edition, 2020
• Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015 — legislation.gov.uk
• Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 — legislation.gov.uk
• Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (tree preservation orders) — legislation.gov.uk
• Acquisition of Land Act 1981 — legislation.gov.uk
• Misrepresentation Act 1967 — legislation.gov.uk
• Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 — legislation.gov.uk
• Historic England — National Heritage List for England: historicengland.org.uk
• Planning Portal — planningportal.co.uk
• National Highways — Road projects: nationalhighways.co.uk
• National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team — Material Information guidance — ntselat.gov.uk
• Clean Air Act 1993 (smoke control areas) — legislation.gov.uk

Related guides

• TA6 Section 7: Parking Arrangements
• TA6 Section 8: Other Charges Affecting the Property
• TA6 Section 9: Occupiers and Tenants
• TA6 Section 10: Transaction Information
• TA6 Section 13: Council Tax and Business Rates
• TA6 vs SPIF: What's the Difference?

Frequently asked questions