ENG-1969 — Page 204

132

LAND AND HOUSING

be obtained prior to redevelopment of the sites of old buildings, increased by 16 to 27. Orders requiring redevelopment of the sites of demolished buildings totalled 77. In 1968 there were 122. The number of searches, which, as a search must be made prior to every land transaction, provides a good index to the state of the property market, rose by 28.3 per cent from 58,810 to 75,446. Compared with 1968 the grand total of considerations recorded in all instruments registered rose by $877,000,000, or 38.8 per cent, to $3,139,000,000.

The volume of work in several other sections of the Land Office was influenced by the prevailing market conditions. During the year, 173 conditions of sale, grant, exchange, etc were registered as compared with 110 in 1968. Consents-granted to forward sales of flats in those cases where the conditions under which the land is held give the necessary power of control increased substantially by 79 to 134. The number of modifications and deeds of variation of lease conditions-often a prelude to multi-storey development— fell by one to 38. Despite the increased activity in other spheres, 512 Crown leases were issued as compared with 466 in 1968.

At the end of the year the Land Office card index of property owners contained the names of 171,947 people (an increase of 14,124 over the previous year), some owning several properties, but most being merely owners or part owners of small individual flats.

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