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Data Access for Users within the UK Private Sector

Geographically referenced datasets are expensive to create and maintain and have considerable commercial value. The key datasets in the UK are created by several different organizations and the exact mechanisms for access vary according to the sector in which you are working. In general, access is simplest for the academic sector, available at reduced cost or through central licensing for public sector users and most expensive for the commercial sector.

Users outside the academic community are able to access most of the same data resources but this often involves additional costs or complexity. There is a wide range of commercial data consultancies who are able to provide most of these services at cost. By contrast, some very useful datasets are available free of charge. Whatever your organization, you may need to make local enquiries – often from the computing or information system services department – to ascertain your exact entitlements.

Access Routes

The following tables summarises the principal access routes for UK private sector users to key georeferencing datasets and also gives some advice as to the geographical coverage. We do not make any endorsement of the products and services identified here, nor have we attempted to list the many commercial organizations who provide services ranging from data supply to comprehensive spatial analysis.

Datasets Access route URL
Ordnance Survey (GB) digital mapping, including ADDRESS-POINT Available for purchase from Ordnance Survey GB: http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/
Neighbourhood statistics Freely available for download from Neighbourhood Statistics services England and Wales: http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/
Scotland: http://www.sns.gov.uk/
Northern Ireland: http://www.ninis.nisra.gov.uk/
2001 census area boundaries Available free on CD/DVD from national census organizations England and Wales: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/
Scotland: http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/census/
Northern Ireland: http://www.nisra.gov.uk/
2001 census aggregate data Univariate data freely available for download from Neighbourhood Statistics services England and Wales: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/
Scotland: http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/census/
Northern Ireland: http://www.nisra.gov.uk/
  Bulk supply formats available free on CD/DVD from national census organizations England and Wales: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/
Scotland: http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/census/
Northern Ireland: http://www.nisra.gov.uk/
  Supplied to purchasers of SASPAC software http://www.saspac.org/
1991 census area boundaries ED-LINE datasets available for purchase through Ordnance Survey GB: http://search.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/
  Supplied to purchasers of SASPAC software http://www.saspac.org/
1991 census aggregate data Enquire to national census organizations for bulk supply formats England and Wales: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/
Scotland: http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/census/
Northern Ireland: http://www.nisra.gov.uk/
  Supplied to purchasers of SASPAC software http://www.saspac.org/
National Statistics Postcode Directory Available for purchase from ONS UK: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/
2004 Indices of Deprivation Freely available for download from Communities and Local Government England and Wales: http://www.communities.gov.uk/
(Different indices and dates apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland)
2007 Indices of Deprivation Freely available for download from Communities and Local Government England and Wales: http://www.communities.gov.uk/
(Different indices and dates apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland)
2001 Output Area Classifications Freely available for download from ONS UK: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/
Postcode Address File Available for purchase from Royal Mail UK: http://www.royalmail.com/
National Land and Property Gazetteer Not currently available  

Copyright Attribution

ADDRESS-POINT® and ED-LINE are registered trademarks of Ordnance Survey (Great Britain). The Postcode Address File(PAF®) is a registered trademark of Royal Mail and the Small Area Statistics Package (SASPAC) software is owned by the Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government (IDeA).