News

OS digital maps

News

Estates Gazette

20 May 1989

This volume is planned to increase at the rate of some 5,000 a year.

The Ordnance Survey encourages other organisations to digitise from its maps, provided this does not conflict with its own commercial interests. However, the OS stresses that “all digital media incorporating OS material, and any plots made from them, are Crown copyright and must carry the standard copyright acknowledgements”.

The OS provides two methods by which customers may acquire large-scale digital map data. First, each digital map may be purchased outright (currently £100 plus VAT). Alternatively, customers may be granted licensed access to maintained digital data, for an annual pre-paid charge (currently £30 plus VAT). A digital map covers an area of 1/4 km² for data derived from 1:1250 mapping or 1 km² for data derived from 1:2500 scale maps. Digital maps containing data from both scales will generally cover an area of 1/4 km².

OS data is supplied on 9 track 1/2 inch magnetic tape, at an additional charge of currently £15 plus VAT. Each tape can hold up to a maximum of 60 digital maps.

If you wish to determine the extent of digital coverage within a given area, the OS provides a very useful Index to Large Scale National Grid Plans — PLANDEX. Each page of this index represents one quarter of a 100 km square on the National Grid. Various symbols on these pages indicate the extent of map coverage, both digital and conventional. For example, following a recent inquiry I was able to determine that the whole of Chesterfield is complete and that most of Sheffield will be available in digital form later this year.

Further information from Digital Marketing, Ordnance Survey, Romsey Road, Maybush, Southampton SO9 4DH (0703 792446/792773).

I was surprised to learn recently that it is now 10 years since the Ordnance Survey Review Committee proposed a strategy by which to establish a digital topographical database of Great Britain. Since 1979 a considerable amount of progress has been made and by January this year some 29,000 maps at 1:1250, 1:2500 and 1:10,000 scales had been made available for transfer to customers’ magnetic tapes. This volume is planned to increase at the rate of some 5,000 a year. The Ordnance Survey encourages other organisations to digitise from its maps, provided this does not conflict with its own commercial interests. However, the OS stresses that “all digital media incorporating OS material, and any plots made from them, are Crown copyright and must carry the standard copyright acknowledgements”. The OS provides two methods by which customers may acquire large-scale digital map data. First, each digital map may be purchased outright (currently £100 plus VAT). Alternatively, customers may be granted licensed access to maintained digital data, for an annual pre-paid charge (currently £30 plus VAT). A digital map covers an area of 1/4 km2 for data derived from 1:1250 mapping or 1 km2 for data derived from 1:2500 scale maps. Digital maps containing data from both scales will generally cover an area of 1/4 km2. OS data is supplied on 9 track 1/2 inch magnetic tape, at an additional charge of currently £15 plus VAT. Each tape can hold up to a maximum of 60 digital maps. If you wish to determine the extent of digital coverage within a given area, the OS provides a very useful Index to Large Scale National Grid Plans — PLANDEX. Each page of this index represents one quarter of a 100 km square on the National Grid. Various symbols on these pages indicate the extent of map coverage, both digital and conventional. For example, following a recent inquiry I was able to determine that the whole of Chesterfield is complete and that most of Sheffield will be available in digital form later this year. Further information from Digital Marketing, Ordnance Survey, Romsey Road, Maybush, Southampton SO9 4DH (0703 792446/792773).