Landowners could scupper free Land Registry access plans, campaigners warn

Proposed lifting of paywall would reveal who owns vast majority of land in England and Wales

Plans by the government to give the public free access for the first time to information on who owns England’s land are at risk of being scuppered by landowners, campaigners have said.

On Tuesday the government set out its proposals to lift the paywall on the Land Registry, arguing that opening it would help the UK build more houses, protect nature and improve strategic planning. The plans will be open to public consultation for eight weeks.

The Guardian has previously revealed that there are internal rifts between the government and the Land Registry – an “arm’s length body” that comes under the oversight of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government but acts largely independently – over how far to open it to scrutiny.

Guy Shrubsole, author of Who Owns England?, urged people to get involved. “The government has put forward a bold but sensible proposal to open up the Land Registry and reveal who owns the vast majority of land in England and Wales – a question that goes back to the Domesday Book and has always been entwined with wealth and power,” he said.

“But the country’s biggest landowners may still try to scupper these plans at the last hurdle. It’s up to us peasants to stage the most gentle of revolts, by submitting our views to this public consultation.”

The proposals would for the first time allow public sector bodies, including government departments and local authorities, to access the information free of charge. This should make it easier for councils to identify sites for new homes, schools, hospitals, environmental assets, water infrastructure and public transport.