The Minister of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government has reaffirmed HM Land Registry’s focus on reducing processing times, stating that the recruitment of 3,300 additional staff alongside increased automation of routine tasks continues to reduce delays.

In response to a parliamentary question from Labour MP Amanda Hack regarding the government’s approach to addressing the HMLR backlog, Minister Matthew Pennycook reported that ‘significant progress’ has been made in improving turnaround times. Beyond staffing increases over the past five years, he emphasized that the expansion of digital services is playing a key role in shortening wait times. He noted:

“The age of outstanding post-completion applications is now under 12 months across all service lines, from a peak of 20 months in February 2023.”

Pennycook also pointed to the growing automation of administrative tasks, explaining that it ‘frees staff to focus on more complex tasks that require expertise’.

Customer-facing digital upgrades are also being implemented, including checks before submission that aim to minimize delays, reduce the volume of post-completion applications, and ‘provide a better overall experience for customers’, according to the minister.

Pennycook acknowledged:

‘HMLR acknowledges that some customers may not yet feel the full impact of these improvements.’

He further explained:

“If a delay to an application may cause financial, legal, or personal problems or put a property sale at risk, it can be expedited free of charge. HMLR processes nearly 1,400 expedited applications every day, with more than 95% of these processed within 10 working days.”

In a recent blog post on the HMLR website, chief executive Simon Hayes shared that the registry had made ‘real headway’ in enhancing its services, surpassing its March target of processing 95% of applications within 12 months. However, he cautioned that more progress is needed and emphasized that the organization was not becoming ‘complacent’. Hayes highlighted ongoing collaboration with customers to reduce submission errors, the launch of a Land Registration Academy for training new staff, structural changes to manage demand, and investments in AI and digital solutions.

In March, HMLR also introduced a data verification service for Business Gateway-enabled software, aimed at reducing avoidable requisitions by catching ‘simple administrative errors’ before submission. The service checks for valid charge dates, ensures all required names and declarations are included, and flags title number mistakes in digital applications—helping to reduce delays by identifying issues early in the process. 

Source: Juliet Shaw, Today's Conveyancer