10 year Public Sector Geospatial Agreement signed

The Geospatial Commission has announced that it is increasing the location data available to the public sector across England and Wales.

Geospatial data, which is data linked to location, underpins Britain’s public services such as emergency planning, building our homes, protecting our environment, supporting our transport and helping our security services to keep us safe. Any public sector organisations ranging from health and emergency services, town, parish, and community councils through to central government departments can sign up via Ordnance Survey to use the data, free at the point of use.

Known as the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement, it will be delivered by the national mapping agency, Ordnance Survey and will start from 1 April 2020.

Thalia Baldwin, director of the Geospatial Commission, said: “The Geospatial Commission was created in 2018 to make sure the UK maximises the opportunity location data presents for society, the economy and the environment. The new agreement meets our commitment to improve access to Ordnance Survey’s core data to start-ups, businesses and innovators.

“It means that the public and private sectors will have improved access to the accurate and detailed mapping data they rely on today to support even more innovative, efficient and effective delivery of public services.”