With a month to go until the June 30 Stamp Duty deadline, new data has revealed that those attempting to complete on a property purchase in Wiltshire are some of the least likely in the UK to complete on time; potentially costing thousands of pounds in tax.

The research, from online mortgage broker Mojo Mortgages, looked at the current waiting times for local authority searches to be completed - a determining factor that has an impact on the length of time between a memo of sale and completion.

Based on the figures, the time taken by local authorities across the country to complete these searches varied drastically, ranging from five days up to more than six months for some councils.

Wiltshire Times:

With a delay of 35 working days, Wiltshire Council appeared in the list with the eighth slowest reporting times nationally.

Wiltshire Council said work is underway to improve the process.

Cllr Nick Botterill, cabinet member for strategic planning, said: “Our officers have been working hard to process the huge volume of local land charges searches brought about by the temporary reduction in Stamp Duty rates, which have been in place since July 2020.

“We are doing everything we possibly can to process these searches, including dedicating more officer resources to the team, and extending working hours.”

Wiltshire Times:

Those in Hackney could face local authority search delays of more than six months (180 working days), with Havering (90 working days) and Dorset Council (70 working days) also reporting some of the slowest responses in the country.

On the flip side, those purchasing a property in Ashfield District in Nottinghamshire were least likely to be affected by delays in returning local authority searches, taking five days on average.

A number of other local councils including Bassetlaw, East Devon and Norwich City Council also reported speedy searches taking six days.