New government transparency rules will expose secret land deals, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has said, as it publishes guidance on contractual control agreements.
The guidance, which is intended for conveyancers submitting information to HM Land Registry on behalf of clients, has been issued by MHCLG to support the implementation of The Provision of Information (Contractual Control) (Registered Land) Regulations 2026.
The regulations introduce a duty to provide information about rights contained in certain land agreements – such as an option, conditional contract, pre-emption right, or certain rights associated with promotion agreements – to HMLR, where those agreements give a person the power to control how land is used or developed. The aim is to improve transparency over who holds control over land, short of legal ownership, MHCLG said.
In a statement accompanying the guidance, MHCLG said:
“Thousands of land deals in England have been agreed behind closed doors.
“That can mean smaller builders spend thousands of pounds and hundreds of hours assessing land that turns out to already be tied up.
“Today, that changes.”
Developers must now disclose contractual control agreements, which allow land to be secured without being purchased outright.
A new database will publish key details, including what land is controlled, where it is located, how long the agreement lasts and who the parties are.
“This will help SME builders identify genuinely available sites sooner and compete more fairly in the land market,” MHCLG said.
HMLR said it is pleased to be working with customers and stakeholders to develop the new dataset.
“The creation of a publicly accessible dataset by HM Land Registry of contractual control rights will improve the transparency of land control, making it easier to understand who has influence over land use and development,” the organisation said in a statement.
“The data will also enable the development of innovative tools to identify and assess development sites more efficiently.”
The non-statutory guidance explains who must comply with the regulations, what information must be provided and when, how to submit the required information to HMLR, and what will happen with the data once submitted.
It is intended for developers and promoters entering into contractual control agreements, landowners granting those rights and conveyancers acting on their behalf.
