Further boundary information

We would ask you once again if you could please give your opinion on any of the supplied information that you feel is relevant inrelation to our boundary dispute and would ask this under the Freedom of Information Act.

Thank you for your three letters dated from 18^th April 2010 to 27^th April 2010, in relation to a boundary dispute between xxxxxx and xxxxxx.

We have digested the further information you have provided to us in relation to your initial and second Freedom of Information requests, and feel that we are only able to provide you with the following factual information, related to our mapping:

Firstly, I must re-iterate to you, that Ordnance Survey does not depict legal property boundaries, nor do we attempt to show property ownership on our mapping. Neither are we able to make comment on matters of property ownership.  We are only able to comment insofar as we are able on Ordnance Survey mapping.  In this regard, the features shown on Ordnance Survey maps represent the physical features present at the time of survey, which are depicted within the limits of accuracy and portrayal possible at the scale survey.

We understand from your letter of the 18^th April 2010, that you have indicated that there was a metal fence on the southern side of the hedge in question, which you advise as being the ‘boundary fence’ (since removed).  If a hedge and fence are in such close proximity to each other, it would not be possible to show them both at a scale of 1:2500. 

In these situations it would be Ordnance Survey policy to depict the longer standing feature providing it was a substantive feature.  In the case in point our historic mapping implies that a hedge was the feature surveyed into the first large scale map of the area in the late 1800’s and as such is likely to be the feature we will have retained in all editions since then.

We also note from Ordnance Survey County Series mapping of 1921, that a public administrative (Parish) Boundary ran along the edge of xxxxxx to the line of the hedge to which your correspondence refers.  

It was usual in such circumstances, if the designated alignment of an administrative boundary followed a property boundary, for the surveyed alignment of the administrative boundary to coincide, insofar as the scale of survey allowed, with the land ownership boundary.  This was so that the entire property would fall within the same administrative area (Parish).  Determination of this precise property boundary alignment would have been by local enquiry, not by any decision on Ordnance Survey’s part as to property ownership.

I regret that Ordnance Survey is unable to comment on the reference copy of the council plan, since this a third party map.

The information you have provided from xxxxxx and xxxxxx are again not something we would be able to comment on, as they do not relate to items of fact of which Ordnance Survey would have knowledge/information or a remit to comment.

We feel that we have now responded as fully as we can to your three requests, and do not believe there is anything we can add to this matter to assist you further. Please note that your enquiry has been processed to Freedom of Information guidelines. If you are unhappy with the way in which we have handled your enquiry, you may raise an appeal to our Appeals Officer at:

Complaints Team

Customer Service Centre

Ordnance Survey

Romsey Road

SOUTHAMPTON

SO16 4GU

Please include the reference number below. The Appeals Officer will ensure that the process has been followed correctly, questioning any decisions taken regarding the original response and recommending disclosure of additional information if appropriate.

Thank you for your enquiry.

Reference number: FOI1067/April 2010