aLandowners in south Devon are being urged to take advantage of a voluntary land registration initiative that will offer them certainty and security about the property they own. The initiative is part of a drive by Land Registry – the government department responsible for registering land ownership in England and Wales – to seek people who own agricultural land and help them to identify and register what they own. Just under half of Somerset, Dorset and Cornwall, and 41 per cent of Devon, currently remain unregistered. Andy Woodgate, register development manager, said: 'We know that farmers and landowners with large land holdings live busy lives. Recognising this, our aim is to make the voluntary registration of ownership as straightforward as possible. 'Land Registry is keen that farmers and other landowners have a proper guarantee of their land ownership. We have a straightforward and cost-effective system for checking and registering who owns what. 'We would welcome all inquiries from farmers, or their representatives such as land agents and solicitors.' Once registered, owners have title to their land guaranteed by the state and buying and selling land can be easier. Landowners also know the administration of their land holding is in good order with key information in one place and easy to access. For more information about the voluntary registration scheme visit Land Registry's website at http://www.landregistry.gov.uk">www.landregistry.gov.uk or call 0800 432 0432. Voluntary land registration allows landowners to be in charge of their assets, to manage them more effectively now and in the long term, to consolidate complex legal information or historic data about their land and to protect their land against encroachment. Angela Jackson, register development manager at Land Registry's Plymouth office, said: 'The registration of the land and interests comprising the Duchy of Cornwall Estate has been a significant project for Land Registry. 'The challenge of size and the wide range of land types, including foreshore and mineral interests, have been overcome through an excellent working relationship between the Duchy Office and Land Registry. Through regular consultation we have streamlined our processes to lead to successful completion to meet the needs of the Duchy Office.' John Thorn, of Beara Farm, near Buckfastleigh, had a simple reason to register his land voluntarily. he wished to take advantage of a current 25 per cent discount. He had inherited the farm from his parents and there was no record of ownership. He had also built an extension to the farmhouse that his mother still owned and he wanted to clearly set out who owned what. One of the things Mr Thorn appreciated was that someone from Land Registry went out to the farm. 'If you're a farmer, you start off the morning in your old clothes. If you've got to come in and change and get into your best clothes and go off somewhere and then come back again and change again, the day's gone. 'I couldn't have had two nicer people do it – the woman I dealt with almost became a friend.'