All of Scotland and Wales’ 54 local authorities have now taken up the world’s most detailed and intelligent geographic database, Ordnance Survey’s OS MasterMap Topography Layer.
The move comes as an increasing number of businesses and organisations, including local government, realise the benefits of exploiting location as the basis for a wide variety of projects and services, from road traffic management and town planning to combating climate change.
Sean Culpan at Renfrewshire Council says that "OS MasterMap Topography Layer has changed the way people work with mapping.
"With OS MasterMap Topography Layer people can identify and work with features they understand in the real world, such as buildings or roads, and they can build new databases using these real-world features much more quickly and accurately than they could before."
OS MasterMap Topography Layer is a seamless geographic database containing almost half a billion features from the built and natural landscape of Britain. Users can visualise the most up-to-date representation of buildings, land, water, roads and even non-physical features such as administrative boundaries.
Each feature has a unique identifier known as a TOID, which makes it easy for users to link their own information, such as housing trends or planning application details, to a specific geographic point.
Peter ter Haar, Ordnance Survey’s Director or Products, says, "I am delighted that local authorities throughout Scotland and Wales are now all taking advantage of OS MasterMap. By harnessing the power of intelligent geographic information these organisations will be able to make real improvements to the lives of local people."
Sue Beetlestone of Powys County Council adds, "One of the many plus points of OS MasterMap Topography Layer is the use of the intelligent data. For example, the data has given us a head start on identifying and analysing woodland areas in Powys, helping us to inform future planning strategies."
For more information on OS MasterMap Topography Layer and the other layers that make up the OS MasterMap family, visit: www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/products/osmastermap
Source: Ordnance Survey