New figures show Breckland Council currently takes an average of 40 working days to complete a local authority land search - a key part of the conveyancing process when buying a home.

That is four times slower than government guidance, which advises councils to return searches within 10 working days.

The council has one of the worst turnaround's in the country for land searches (Image: Mike Page)

Local authority searches have been a compulsory part of buying a home since 1925.

They alert buyers to potential legal issues such as planning restrictions, conservation areas, tree preservation orders and whether a property is listed – information designed to prevent costly surprises after a purchase is completed.

Breckland is rivalled only by the Cotswolds, which also has an........

© Eastern Daily Press