Allerdale landowners urged to sign up for a secure future

Landowners in Allerdale are being urged to take straightforward steps to secure the future of their farms and estates.

Land Registry - the country's experts on land registration - is seeking farmers and landowners to help them clearly identify what they own. In Allerdale, 56 per cent (74,280 hectares) of land is currently unregistered.

The Allerdale initiative is part of a drive by Land Registry to encourage owners of thousands of hectares of unregistered land to come forward and benefit from the 25 per cent registration fee discount. Registration helps landowners to manage land more effectively and consolidates complex legal information or historic data.

Harry Charlton, Cumbria Register Development Manager said:

"Cumbria is the second largest county in England and Wales, but it is the county with the least registered land. This is because much of the land is largely rural farmland which has remained in the same family ownership for many years. We know that farmers and landowners live busy lives but hope they will see registration as a long term investment in their property. "Land Registry is keen that farmers and other landowners have a proper guarantee of their land ownership. We have a straightforward and cost effective system for checking and registering who owns what. "We would welcome inquiries from as many landowners as possible" Once registered, owners have the title to their land guaranteed by the state, and buying and selling is simpler and cheaper. Landowners also know the administration of their landholding is in good order with key information in one place and easy to access.