Barking and Dagenham Council's Land Charges team has achieved a perfect record, meeting its Key Performance Indicator (KPI) of responding to searches within five days for the entire past year. This marks a significant success for the team, which is now based with BeFirst.
The service, handled by a dedicated team of two, has consistently achieved 100% compliance with its five-day response target. This specific metric was used to define their 'perfect record', as stated in the meeting information. Barry Coughlan, Head of Statutory Planning Services, noted that This land charges department is based with BeFirst now,
implying that BeFirst supports the team by housing their operations and potentially offering administrative or operational assistance.
The Land Charges department has a history of recognition, having received the Land Data Customer Service Award in 2025. This award was based on nominations from customers, highlighting the team's commitment to excellent service.
This achievement builds on previous accolades, with the department having received an award in 2002 for its excellent land charges service. The consistent performance is crucial for property transactions within the borough, ensuring that buyers and sellers receive timely information.
This success was highlighted in the Planning Performance Review covering report for 2025-26, which can be found here.
