Superplan Data Frequently Asked Questions
General:
Q: What do I need to provide for you to identify my location?
Q: What is the minimum/maximum coverage available in one Superplan Data® order?
Q: How big is a hectare?
Q: Must the coverage be in a north-south orientated box?
Q: How recent is the information?
Q: What is the delivery time?
Official Applications:
Q: Can Siteplan®/Superplan® maps be used for settling boundary disputes?
Q: Can I use Siteplan®/Superplan® as a legal representation of the boundaries of my land to solve a land dispute
Q: Can I use Ordnance Survey for detailed planning applications?
Scale and Accuracy:
Q: What’s the difference between survey scale and print scale?
Q: What is ‘large scale mapping’?
Q: What are ‘rural’ and ‘urban’ and what accuracy is provided?
Q: What scale is Superplan Data®?
Data types:
Q: What is DXF™/Vector Data?
Q: Why pay more for DXF™data?
Q: What Software do I require?
Q: What hardware do I require?
Additional services/information:
Q: Can extra detail or levels be added?
Q: Can you perform area calculations?
Q: Can you provide IACS measurements?
Q: Is Ordnance Survey Control Information Shown?
General:
Q: What do I need to provide for you to identify my location?back to top
A: Primarily, as much of the address as available. Also helpful if available is a National Grid Reference (as found on most OS maps) and a brief site description (e.g. location/neighbouring properties/site size and boundaries/field numbers).
Where the site does not have an address (e.g. an area of derelict land), we will endeavour to identify your site through whatever description you have available.
Where clarification is required, we will contact you and discuss the details further.
Q: What is the minimum/maximum coverage available in one Superplan Data® order?back to top
A: The minimum ground area covered for any order is 1 hectare.
The maximum ground area that can be purchased is based on certain parameters. If the majority (51% or more) of the area you define is:
1:1250 scale data, the limit in any one order is 250 hectares
1:2500 scale data, the limit in any one order is 1000 hectares
and if an order is 80% or more of 1:10 000 scale data, the limit is 22 500 hectares.
|
Specification |
Urban 1:1250 scale |
Rural 1:2500 scale |
Moorland 1:10 000 scale |
|
Data structure |
enhanced vector |
||
|
Transfer format |
DXF (AutoCAD release 12 compatible) |
||
|
Minimum output area per order (subject to minimum data charge) |
4 hectares (ha) |
4 ha |
4 ha |
|
Maximum output area per order |
250 ha |
1000 ha |
22 500 ha |
Q: How big is a hectare? back to top
A: 100 by 100 metres
Approx. 2.4 acres
Or one hundredth of a kilometre square
Q: Must the coverage be in a north-south orientated box?back to top
A: Although the coverage will always be either rectangular or square, for Superplan® and Landplan® it can be orientated to follow linear features (such as roads or properties) as required. Siteplan® can not be orientated.
Q: How recent is the information?back to top
A: Each of the range of site centred, large scale mapping products are produced in store directly from the Ordnance Survey database which contains the latest survey information with nearly 5000 updates every day.
Each kilometre square tile has a record of its latest update and this be viewed together with an overview of the latest information for your site at:
http://tileselect.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/land-line
Options are available for searches by grid reference, tile or placename.
Q: What is the delivery time? back to top
A: Once the order requirements have been checked, the product can normally be produced within the space of an hour. E-mail products are then available almost immediately whilst items requiring postage can be expected to arrive within two to three days after the order date. If more rapid delivery is required, 1st class or special delivery can be arranged for a small additional fee.
Official Applications:
Q: Can Siteplan®/Superplan® maps be used for settling boundary disputes?back to top
A: No. Ordnance Survey maps do not portray boundaries, but do record the existence of physical features within the limits of the specification.
Q: Can I use Siteplan®/Superplan® as a legal representation of the boundaries of my land to solve a land dispute? back to top
A: In the first case, many people refer to Land Registry mapping (http://www.landreg.gov.uk.) which is generally based on Ordnance Survey mapping and can be used to give an overview or ‘picture’ of the property in question. If no records are held by Land Registry then an appropriate standard of Ordnance Survey mapping can be provided.
These plans alone can not however be relied upon and for legal purposes there is often very little chance of any positive outcome unless legal documents such as deeds carrying recorded measurements or remaining physical evidence is available. For further information on boundary disputes please contact us directly in order for our staff with years of relevant experience to provide more specific and informed assistance.
Q: Can I use Ordnance Survey for detailed planning applications? back to top
A: Often, more detail is required than is available through Ordnance Survey. However, site surveys are available enabling you to add value to your data. The range of services available includes land surveys, building surveys (including elevations) and underground services surveys, all of which can be added to the existing Ordnance Survey Superplan Data®.
Scale and Accuracy:
Q: What’s the difference between survey scale and print scale? back to top
A: Survey scale denotes the amount and accuracy of detail shown. Print scale is simply the actual size of the final mapping on paper compared to the original features.
Q: What is ‘large scale mapping’? back to top
A: This is the most detailed and accurate mapping available from Ordnance Survey. It is mapped to 1:1250, 1:2500 or 1:10 000 scale for ‘urban’, ‘rural’ or ‘moorland’ areas respectively.
Q: What are ‘rural’ and ‘urban’ and what accuracy is provided? back to top
A:‘Urban’ – 1:1250 scale, 50 inches to the mile – major towns and cities
‘Rural’ – 1:2500 scale, 25 inches to the mile - smaller towns, villages and developed rural areas
‘Moorland’ – 1:10 000 scale –mountains, moorland and estuarine areas
The associated accuracies are:
|
Absolute accuracy, that is, compared to the National Grid |
Relative accuracy, that is, distances between points taken from the map |
|
|
1:1250 (urban) |
<± 0.5 metres |
<± 0.4 metres |
|
1:2500 resurvey of reformed (urban and rural) |
<± 1.1 metres |
<± 0.9 metres |
|
1:2500 overhaul (urban and rural) |
<± 2.8 metres |
<± 1.2 metres |
|
1:10,000 (mountain and moorland) |
<± 4.1 metres |
<± 3.5 metres |
Accuracy depends on survey methods used.
Note: certain features, for example, slopes and vegetation, are surveyed to lower accuracies.
Q: What scale is Superplan Data®? back to top
A: The data itself is presented at 1 drawing unit to 1 metre but will have been mapped to either rural, urban or moorland scale of detail and accuracy. This means that every node on the screen has its actual National Grid Reference to within the specified accuracies. It is then up to the user to decide on an appropriate scale before printing or plotting the data through the desired software.
Data types:
Q: What is DXF™/Vector Data? back to top
A: Vector data represents individual map features such as roads, buildings and rivers as links and nodes with each being given a unique ‘code' and geographic reference. Relevant information about features can be recorded against their individual codes (for example length or surface area). Being a structured list of co-ordinate information, the files are small and easily transmitted/stored and do not deteriorate on close ‘zooming’.
A DXF™ (Digital Exchange File) is simply a Vector Data file type and is compatible with most modern CAD (Computer Aided Design) packages. Release 12 is used to ensure compatibility with older software.
Q: Why pay more for DXF™ data? back to top
A: Provided you have access to the appropriate software, this data is the most useful available allowing you to make prints at your choice of scale and even to incorporate your designs into the information. Line distances and areas can also be interrogated. As with TIFF data, a one year copyright is included, full details of which are available on request.
Q: What Software do I require? back to top
A: Superplan Data® is supplied in Drawing Exchange Format (DXF™) that is fully compatible with AutoCAD release 12 onwards. You will therefore require software that can read drawings in DXF™; this is possible with most modern CAD packages.
Q: What hardware do I require? back to top
A: Provided that sufficient memory and storage facilities are available, there are no specific constraints on hardware that may be used. Superplan Data® files vary in volume from less than 0.1Mb to 20Mb or even more.
Typical storage volumes per Superplan Data® file (uncompressed):
|
Source area |
Ground area covered (metres) |
Average volume |
Maximum volume |
|
Urban |
400 by 400 |
0.52Mb |
2.11Mb |
|
Rural |
800 by 800 |
0.38Mb |
1.98Mb |
|
Moorland |
4000 by 4000 |
0.51Mb |
0.53Mb |
Additional services/information:
Q: Can extra detail or levels be added? back to top
A: With Superplan Data®, added value can be given to your product. Information that can be added includes that given in land, building and underground services or drainage surveys. Contact us for more information on this ability to make your data a significantly more powerful tool.
Q: Can you perform area calculations? back to top
A: We are able to provide official area calculations which must be purchased together with a Superplan® (plot) for the area concerned. In order to identify the exact boundaries, more detail than just an address may be required but this can usually done simply through correspondence if preferred to a visit to our shop.
If you have purchased Superplan Data, we are able to provide a measurement for a small charge although this is not provided as an official Ordnance Survey print-out, but instead on our headed paper.
Q: Can you provide IACS measurements?back to top
A: Yes, when a Superplan® plot is purchased, the areas of any fields can be measured where there is a boundary/topographic feature marked on the Ordnance Survey information. An official listing of the measured areas is provided with the areas given in hectares, acres, square metres and square feet.
Q: Is Ordnance Survey Control Information Shown?back to top
A: Siteplan® and Superplan® will no longer show control information from late 2006. This is because the traditional control stations are being abandoned in favour of the use of GPS (Global Positioning System). However, the information will now be freely available from the Ordnance Survey web-site and a link will be added here as soon as the pages appear.
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