Landowners could scupper free Land Registry access plans, campaigners warn

Proposed lifting of paywall would reveal who owns vast majority of land in England and Wales

Plans by the government to give the public free access for the first time to information on who owns England’s land are at risk of being scuppered by landowners, campaigners have said.

On Tuesday the government set out its proposals to lift the paywall on the Land Registry, arguing that opening it would help the UK build more houses, protect nature and improve strategic planning. The plans will be open to public consultation for eight weeks.

The Guardian has previously revealed that there are internal rifts between the government and the Land Registry – an “arm’s length body” that comes under the oversight of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government but acts largely independently – over how far to open it to scrutiny.

Guy Shrubsole, author of Who Owns England?, urged people to get involved. “The government has put forward a bold but sensible proposal to open up the Land Registry and reveal who owns the vast majority of land in England and Wales – a question that goes back to the Domesday Book and has always been entwined with wealth and power,” he said.

“But the country’s biggest landowners may still try to scupper these plans at the last hurdle. It’s up to us peasants to stage the most gentle of revolts, by submitting our views to this public consultation.”

The proposals would for the first time allow public sector bodies, including government departments and local authorities, to access the information free of charge. This should make it easier for councils to identify sites for new homes, schools, hospitals, environmental assets, water infrastructure and public transport.

A new free public dataset would identify the owners of significant land-holdings, covering the vast majority of land in England and Wales, but excluding ordinary homeowners. More sensitive information might also be available to investigators, civil society groups and regulators who can demonstrate a clear public interest.

A government spokesperson said: “We are improving access to the Land Registry’s database to help fill in the gaps on who really owns land in England – with at least 10% currently unknown. By driving up land transparency we can make smarter decisions on building the homes and infrastructure we need, while delivering a crucial win-win for the economy and nature.”

Campaigners welcomed the move. Roger Mortlock, chief executive of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, said: “Our finite land supply is facing an unprecedented squeeze. Making it easier to find out who owns what will help us make the most of every hectare, whether for homes, infrastructure, food or nature’s recovery.”

Gavin Lane, president of the Country Land and Business Association, which represents landowners and rural businesses, warned of the possible impact of opening the register further.

“Making more personal information public could leave families vulnerable to fraud and other risks, especially as AI makes it easier to steal and misuse people’s identities,” Lane said. “Greater transparency should not come at the expense of people’s privacy, security and safety.”

Many landowners have been reluctant to have their holdings made public, and are likely to fight the proposals. Shrubsole said: “Centuries of secrecy over who owns our land might finally be coming to an end – but only if enough members of the public respond to this consultation.”