"Hundreds and hundreds" of house sales have fallen through in Bracknell after the council's land-charges computer failed, an estate agent says.
Kevin Winchester of Bridges told the LDRS the problem has been disrupting sales across Bracknell, Sandhurst and Crowthorne since mid-January.
"Since the middle of January, sales have been affected by the failure of Local Authority Search results to be returned by Bracknell Forest Council."
"Having reviewed the number of sales agreed in that period, I believe the delays could have impacted several hundred property transactions in the local area."
The hold-up has slowed conveyancing: some buyers had to seek different lending and many solicitors refused to let sales progress until the LLC1 search was completed, rather than accept indemnity insurance.
Nationwide has said it will allow customers to complete using Delayed Search Insurance, with extra checks. A spokesman said: "Nationwide will accept 'Delayed Search Insurance' if a customer or their solicitor is struggling to obtain the relevant searches within a reasonable timeline. This is subject to the solicitor completing some further checks and validation on available information. The search information enables us to make a responsible lending decision as information gained on the property may have a bearing on its value and marketability."
Peter Swallow MP has written to Arcus Global, the council's system supplier, and urged the council to investigate and clear the backlog. He said: "Buying and selling a home is stressful enough, without these unexpected delays. Arcus must work to fix this issue as soon as possible."
Ted O'Neill, Local Democracy Reporter
