The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) held its first conference last week.
The conference was specifically tailored to those working in the searches profession and attracted 50 cross-industry members.
The event provided an in-depth update on the Council’s activity over the last year and a discussion on CoPSO’s future objectives.
These objectives include a drive to get the Search Code specifically recognised by the majority of the UK’s lenders in their Part 2s of the Council of Mortgage Lenders handbook over the next six months.
David Woodward, an inspector for the Property Codes Compliance Board (PCCB), provided attendees with a detailed introduction to the Property Codes Compliance Board and its key role regarding Search Code compliance.
He talked the audience through the PCCB’s compliance activity plan, which it is now in the process of delivering. The plan, which includes more rigorous pre-registration checks, more extensive annual registration renewal checks and an expanded programme of physical inspections, has been designed to further strengthen the Search Code — an already recognised stamp of quality for regulated property searches.
The audience also heard from Allison Bradbury, Strategic Development Manager and Paul Dowse, Head of Strategic Development at the Land Registry.
The pair talked through the current proposals around Local Land Charges and the current plans for a prototype to centralise the registers with the Land Registry.
Chairman of CoPSO, James Sherwood-Rogers, who hosted the day’s event said: “Last week’s conference was a great opportunity for our members to get together and gain some valuable insights into some of the key issues, currently facing our industry.
“As members of the search industry there are limited opportunities throughout the year to attend such a conference, specifically tailored for our profession and the early feedback we have received suggests this is something that our members would like to see established as an a annual event.”
The conference, which was exclusively for CoPSO members, was free of charge for all CoPSO Executive, Associate and Affiliate members, with a maximum number of two delegates per company. For further information or to access copies of the presentations email: info@copso.org.uk or call: 0871 423 7191
