Environmental, Planning and Flood Reports
Independent advice. The right report, from the right provider.
HW Conveyancing Searches is a completely independent company, and our only loyalty is to you. We provide environmental, planning and flood reports from all the major providers and the smaller specialists too, so you always get the report best suited to the transaction in front of you, rather than the one we happen to be tied to.
What Environmental, Planning and Flood Reports Reveal
Environmental and related reports are a core part of conveyancing due diligence. They help you advise your client on risks that a local authority or drainage search will not always pick up. Depending on the report, they can flag:
Land contamination from current or historical use.
Flood risk, including river, coastal, surface water and groundwater.
Ground stability, subsidence and shrink-swell risk.
Planning history and the potential for future development nearby.
Climate change factors such as coastal erosion.
Commissioning the right environmental search helps you meet Law Society and SRA expectations on due diligence, and gives your client a clear picture of the risks, and any opportunities, before they commit.
Independent by Design
Because we are not owned by, or tied to, any single search provider, we can recommend and supply the report that genuinely fits your matter.
We work with all of the leading environmental providers and a number of smaller specialists, and we are always happy to advise on which report, and which provider, is the right choice for a particular property or transaction.
Our Report Partners
These are three of the providers we work with most often, along with the reports conveyancers ask us for the most.
Groundsure
Groundsure is a leading UK environmental search company, providing expert information on risks including land contamination, flooding and ground stability. Their reports are built with the conveyancer in mind, with colour-coded risk ratings, clear pass and next-step indicators, and fewer pages of jargon. Reports include climate change assessments such as coastal erosion and ground shrink and swell risk, and the range runs from basic to full to enhanced to suit different transactions.
DevAssist
DevAssist takes a distinctive approach, producing bespoke reports that look to the future as well as the past and present. Their reports reveal any potential threat, or opportunity, from nearby development, and identify existing planning applications that could affect the property. By studying planning policy, SHLAA documents and planning data, they assess what is being planned and what could feasibly happen in a location. When development is proposed, local residents are often caught by surprise, so a DevAssist report pre-advises where the risks are and how likely they are to come forward, giving your client the full picture before they buy.
Landmark
Landmark Legal provides environmental and location-based risk information across the residential and commercial property sectors in England, Wales and Scotland. They support conveyancing professionals with property due diligence in line with Law Society and SRA requirements, offering a comprehensive, flexible and continually evolving range of searches suited to every type of transaction.
Not Sure Which Report You Need?
With so many reports available, the right choice is not always obvious. As an independent provider, we can talk you through the options and recommend the report that best fits your client's property and transaction, with no pressure and no bias. You can also view samples and full product information for our partners' reports before you order.
How to Order Your Reports
Environmental, Planning and Flood Reports: Common Questions
What is an environmental search?
An environmental search assesses risks attached to a property and the land around it, such as contamination, flooding, ground stability and nearby planning or development activity. It helps you advise your client on issues that other searches may not reveal.
Do I need an environmental report for conveyancing?
Environmental due diligence is expected as part of standard conveyancing practice, in line with Law Society and SRA guidance, and most lenders will want to see that the risks have been considered. The right report depends on the property and its location.
What is the difference between the providers you offer?
Each provider has its strengths. Groundsure focuses on clear, conveyancer-friendly environmental risk reporting, DevAssist specialises in planning and development risk, and Landmark offers a broad, flexible range across England, Wales and Scotland. We are happy to help you choose between them.
Do your reports cover flood and climate risk?
Yes. Modern environmental reports assess flood risk from several sources, and many now include climate change factors such as coastal erosion and ground movement.
Do you provide reports for commercial property?
Yes. We can source environmental, planning and flood reports for both residential and commercial transactions.
Can I see a sample before I order?
Yes. You can view samples and full product information for our partners' reports, and we are happy to advise on the right choice with no obligation.