UK local councils
UK Government and Local Councils use maps extensively across many areas of operation: planning department, highways department, refuse collection, etc, etc. For many years they have been compelled (by the "mapping services agreement") to license Ordnance Survey map products at great expense. The Ordnance Survey Opendata announcements will no doubt bring about some fundamental changes in the way this works, but even before that, some forward-looking local councils experimented with using other map providers particularly for public facing online web mapping.
OpenStreetMap offers some very interesting possibilities in this area, not just as a provider of raster maps, but as a platform for engaging with local communities for gathering detailed map data, and presenting it back to them in interesting and useful ways. Feel free to use this page to flesh out some ideas for how local councils can do this.
Contents |
Government use of OpenStreetMap data
Tools / ideas / etc.
Mashups using OSM as a base map
Custom rendering to match a council website.
Maps for printed material. SVG output.
Provide more XAPI-like features/downloads for London. or even for individual boroughs. Features ideas:
- Apply minutely updates.
- This can be scaled easier for the limited area of a London,
OpenStreetMap use of Government resources
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How to avoid infringing copyright The United Kingdom mapping community supports the copyright guidance provided on the OpenStreetMap Copyright wiki page. If in doubt please ask in the talk-gb mailing list. |
In the second half of the 2000s (decade), the Open Data movement grew increasingly loud. This led to the appointment of Sir Tim Berners Lee and Professor Nigel Shadbolt to oversee the release of data sets from various UK Government departments and the new data.gov.uk website. Many of these data sets are released under the new Open Government Licence, allowing royalty-free and commercial use of the data, including with OpenStreetMap.
This section discusses government data that may be of use within OpenStreetMap. It is split by data that has been released under a licence that is compatible with OpenStreetMap's licence and other data that is currently only available by request.
Data available for use in OpenStreetMap
The following government datasets have been released under licences that allow their use within OpenStreetMap:
- NaPTAN - Public transport access points in Great Britain.
- OS OpenData - A limited set of Ordnance Survey datasets.
- Natural England data - Includes land boundaries (e.g. Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty) and National Trails.
Other Government Data
This section discusses data that may of some use to mapping in the United Kingdom. It does not signify that the data can be used within OpenStreetMap and all mappers are advised to check OSM's copyright policy. If you would like to use any of this data, you would first need to write to the copyright holder (often your local council).
- Lists of changes to highways/street naming notifications
Local Councils notify interested parties on the council's decisions on naming and numbering new properties and streets. As the highway network has now been densely surveyed and mapped, it would be an invaluable list of places that might need re-surveying or other editing. Often this is released on each councils website in the form of a PDF file per decision, in a human readable format only. The exact format differs by council. Read more. - Definitive Statement & Definitive Map
In England and Wales each "surveying authority" is required to produce a statement (list) and map of public rights of way. Any path not on these documents by 2026 will no longer be a right of way. We are hoping to get some of these released under a compatible license so that we can help identify missing paths. See #List of UK Councils. - Gazetteers
Compare OSM data to a CSV (e.g. from a gazetteer) - http://github.com/chrisfleming/osm-vs-csv
How else can the government help?
- Ideas
- Get the community mapping! Councils could help us run mapping parties (even if just through room hire).
- Providing local web developers with a platform - Government (perhaps even local government) could look at providing data APIs, tile services, widgets for local web developers. Much more do-able now all the data is open licensed.
List of UK Councils
England
The following list of 152 local authorities are (believed to be) the "surveying authorities" responsible maintaining a definitive map and statement of public rights of way in England. Please respect the © copyright when following external web links.
| Council | Region | Right of Way iMap | Other maps |
Public Right of Way Definitive Statement & Definitive Map | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barking and Dagenham | London | ||||
| Barnet | London | ||||
| Barnsley | Yorkshire and the Humber | ||||
| Bath and North East Somerset | South West England | ||||
| Bedford | East of England | view | |||
| Bexley | London | ||||
| Birmingham | West Midlands | ||||
| Blackburn with Darwen | North West England | ||||
| Blackpool | North West England | ||||
| Bolton | North West England | ||||
| Bournemouth | South West England | ||||
| Bracknell Forest | South East England | ||||
| Bradford | Yorkshire and the Humber | ||||
| Brent | London | ||||
| Brighton and Hove | South East England | ||||
| Bristol, City of | South West England | ||||
| Bromley | London | ||||
| Buckinghamshire | South East England | view | |||
| Bury | North West England | ||||
| Calderdale | Yorkshire and the Humber | ||||
| Cambridgeshire | East of England | view | [1] | ||
| Camden | London (inner) | ||||
| Central Bedfordshire | East of England | view | [2] | ||
| Cheshire East | North West England | view | [3] | ||
| Cheshire West and Chester | North West England | view | [4] | ||
| City of London | London (corporation) | ||||
| Cornwall | South West England | view | [5] | ||
| County Durham | North East England | view | |||
| Coventry | West Midlands | ||||
| Croydon | London | ||||
| Cumbria | North West England | view | |||
| Darlington | North East England | ||||
| Derby | East Midlands | ||||
| Derbyshire | East Midlands | view | [6] | ||
| Devon | South West England | view | [7] | ||
| Doncaster | Yorkshire and the Humber | ||||
| Dorset | South West England | view | [8] | ||
| Dudley | West Midlands | ||||
| Ealing | London | ||||
| East Riding of Yorkshire | Yorkshire and the Humber | ||||
| East Sussex | South East England | view | |||
| Enfield | London | ||||
| Essex | East of England | ||||
| Gateshead | North East England | ||||
| Gloucestershire | South West England | view | |||
| Greenwich | London (inner) | ||||
| Hackney | London (inner) | ||||
| Halton | North West England | ||||
| Hammersmith and Fulham | London (inner) | ||||
| Hampshire | South East England | view (© Non-Free) | Definitive statements | AndyS emailed requesting OGL on 2012-04-27, awaiting a response. | |
| Haringey | London | ||||
| Harrow | London | ||||
| Hartlepool | North East England | ||||
| Havering | London | ||||
| Herefordshire, County of | West Midlands | ||||
| Hertfordshire | East of England | view | [9] | Definitive Statements are provided online (© Non-Free) | rjw62 requested OGL use 2012-05-03 |
| Hillingdon | London | ||||
| Hounslow | London | ||||
| Isle of Wight | South East England | view | Provides Definitive Map scans from Feb 2000 online which may be outdated. (© Non-Free) | Dmgroom has initiated contact and will be following this up. | |
| Isles of Scilly | South West England | ||||
| Islington | London (inner) | ||||
| Kensington and Chelsea | London (inner) | ||||
| Kent | South East England | view | [10] | ||
| Kingston upon Hull, City of | Yorkshire and the Humber | view | Definitive Maps are provided online (© Non-Free) | ||
| Kingston upon Thames | London | ||||
| Kirklees | Yorkshire and the Humber | ||||
| Knowsley | North West England | ||||
| Lambeth | London (inner) | ||||
| Lancashire | North West England | view | [11] | ||
| Leeds | Yorkshire and the Humber | ||||
| Leicester | East Midlands | Policy page | |||
| Leicestershire | East Midlands | Start page, from there select a town/village to view map | |||
| Lewisham | London (inner) | ||||
| Lincolnshire | East of England | view | |||
| Liverpool | North West England | ||||
| Luton | East of England | ||||
| Manchester | North West England | ||||
| Medway | South East England | ||||
| Merton | London | ||||
| Middlesbrough | North East England | ||||
| Milton Keynes | South East England | ||||
| Newcastle upon Tyne | North East England | ||||
| Newham | London | ||||
| Norfolk | East of England | view | |||
| North East Lincolnshire | Yorkshire and the Humber | ||||
| North Lincolnshire | Yorkshire and the Humber | Definitive Maps are provided online (© unknown) | |||
| North Somerset | South West England | [12] | |||
| North Tyneside | North East England | ||||
| North Yorkshire | Yorkshire and the Humber | view | |||
| Northamptonshire | East Midlands | view | [13] | ||
| Northumberland | North East England | view | |||
| Nottingham | East Midlands | rjw62 requested statements and OGL use 2012-05-15 | |||
| Nottinghamshire | East Midlands | view | rjw62 requested statements and OGL use 2012-05-15 | ||
| Oldham | North West England | ||||
| Oxfordshire | South East England | view | [14] | Definitive Map & Statements are provided online (© Non-Free) | rjw62 requested OGL use 2012-05-03 |
| Peterborough | East of England | ||||
| Plymouth | South West England | ||||
| Poole | South West England | ||||
| Portsmouth | South East England | Definitive Maps are provided online (© unknown) | |||
| Reading | South East England | ||||
| Redbridge | London | ||||
| Redcar and Cleveland | North East England | ||||
| Richmond upon Thames | London | ||||
| Rochdale | North West England | ||||
| Rotherham | Yorkshire and the Humber | view | |||
| Rutland | East Midlands | view | |||
| Salford | North West England | view | |||
| Sandwell | West Midlands | ||||
| Sefton | North West England | ||||
| Sheffield | Yorkshire and the Humber | ||||
| Shropshire | West Midlands | view | [15] | ||
| Slough | South East England | ||||
| Solihull | West Midlands | ||||
| Somerset | South West England | view | |||
| South Gloucestershire | South West England | ||||
| South Tyneside | North East England | ||||
| Southampton | South East England | view | |||
| Southend-on-Sea | East of England | ||||
| Southwark | London (inner) | ||||
| St. Helens | North West England | ||||
| Staffordshire | West Midlands | view | |||
| Stockport | North West England | ||||
| Stockton-on-Tees | North East England | ||||
| Stoke-on-Trent | West Midlands | ||||
| Suffolk | East of England | ||||
| Sunderland | North East England | ||||
| Surrey | South East England | view | [16] | ||
| Sutton | London | ||||
| Swindon | South West England | ||||
| Tameside | North West England | ||||
| Telford and Wrekin | West Midlands | Statement | |||
| Thurrock | East of England | ||||
| Torbay | South West England | ||||
| Tower Hamlets | London (inner) | ||||
| Trafford | North West England | ||||
| Wakefield | Yorkshire and the Humber | view | |||
| Walsall | West Midlands | ||||
| Waltham Forest | London | ||||
| Wandsworth | London (inner) | ||||
| Warrington | North West England | ||||
| Warwickshire | West Midlands | ||||
| West Berkshire | South East England | view | |||
| West Sussex | South East England | view | [17] [18] | ||
| Westminster | London (inner) | ||||
| Wigan | North West England | Definitive Statements (© Non-Free) | rjw62 requested OGL use 2012-05-04 | ||
| Wiltshire | South West England | view | |||
| Windsor and Maidenhead | South East England | view | |||
| Wirral | North West England | ||||
| Wokingham | South East England | ||||
| Wolverhampton | West Midlands | ||||
| Worcestershire | West Midlands | view | [19] | Scans of the definitive statement for each path can be accessed through the PRoW map. | rjw62 requested OGL use 2012-05-03 |
| York | Yorkshire and the Humber |
OpenStreetMap Development Platform in general
The above ideas are more around end uses. There are some ideas we could work on before that though to make it easier to build end-use apps. These ideas are not really specific to UK councils, but considering council-sized areas of data presents some interesting possibilities.
Turn NOVAM into something that can be used to check any specified POI data, including imports
- Extract server
- A basic extract server. Extract greater london.
- Pull in updates (minutely?)
- Extract individual boroughs by their boundary=administrative outlines
- Enhanced features for trimming edges off a polygon extract?
- boundary=administrative error checker?
- Extract formats
Shapefiles, Garmin IMGs, GPX POIs. These have been done before (see planet.osm#Extracts)
A small area like a London borough would allow us to convert to other formats. Could be interesting to build these into an extract server:
SVG, PDF (MapOSMatic?), Adobe Illustrator, DXF. Other ideas see Converting map data between formats
- XAPI-like tag extracts
(but avoiding trying to install XAPI!) Again this is nicely simplified by considering an area the size of a borough:
- Extend extract server to also provide various tag extracts.
- e.g. Extract all shops. Extract all bus stops. Extract all recycle bins.
- Multiple themed tags in one download? e.g. for kids: schools, play areas, youth clubs. Low Carbon Zones showing all renewables
- A useful (but optional) format simplification might be to convert POIs mapped as areas (e.g. schools) back to single nodes (centrepoints)
- POI formats: GeoRSS, KML, GPX, Tabular CSV data.
- Visualising XAPI-like results
Having built above features we'd want out-of-the box OpenLayers (or Mapstraction?) configs or at least sample code for easily hooking up to it and seeing the results. e.g. all school POIs as markers on a slippy map. Maybe take ideas from NaPTAN/Novam ([20])
Great case studies
West Midlands gritting routes map - blog and map
NaPTAN data import (bus stops, etc.)
Ordnance Survey Opendata being traced / imported / etc.
Surrey Air Survey to provide free aerial photography of Surrey for tracing by councils and OSM volunteers.
