Local government data in Scotland will now be available to construction companies after the Improvement Service (IS) launched open access to the Spatial Hub
The Spatial Hub is a local government data resource that maintains information from local authorities and other partner organisations. The data is then published in nationwide datasets.
Prior to this announcement, Spatial Hub datasets could only be accessed by local government, public sector organisations and academics.
Local government data can help stakeholders plan for the future
The Spatial Hub data is useful for construction companies as it allows stakeholders to see areas designated for future projects.
It also provides information about sites that constrain construction and development, such as local protection designation, allowing them to better to make better decisions on where to invest their time and money.
“This is the first time in the UK that such a significant resource is being made available as open data; open for anyone to access, use and share as they see fit,” said Ron Wilkinson, spatial information services programme manager at IS.
“The availability of these Spatial Hub datasets will save organisations time and money, as they will no longer need to source this data from individual local authorities, while also helping to standardise and maintain the quality of the data used across a wide variety of sectors,” he added.
IS works closely with the Ordnance Survey, which helped to development of the Spatial Hub over the last seven years.
How can construction companies take advantage of the Spatial Hub?
Information can be accessed via an online platform which will be regularly updated. The platform is user-friendly and is designed to make searching and downloading data as simple as possible.
“OS has been a key partner of the Improvement Service for over 15 years. We have provided specialist knowledge and insight to support IS create and release accurate datasets that are critical for validation and quality assurance across the various functions of government,” said Dominic Cuthbert, strategic development manager at Ordnance Survey.
“We are excited to support the launch of this Local Government open data initiative that will not only enable access to a single source of geospatial datasets but improve efficiencies for customers and support critical developments across the planning and environmental communities,” he concluded.
