Acerage dispute

Dear Requester

Request for information - FOI11274

Thank you for your letter dated 16th March 2012.  I confirm that Ordnance Survey does hold some of the information you have requested and this is provided.  Some of the information is not held and some falls within an exemption within the act and this is detailed as where applicable. We respond to each of your questions in turn:

1 In respect of Ordnance Survey reference 0870, I would like a current plan of this reference at a scale of 1:2500, showing the full extent of the 8.94 acres.

2. If 0870 has been replaced and the 8.94 acres which it contained in 1988/89 now form part of another reference, I would like details of the changes and a similar scale plan of the reference containing the same 8.94 acres.

1 & 2.  Your request for 1:2500 scale mapping is exempt under Section 21 (2) (a) of the Freedom of Information Act 'Information accessible to applicant by other means' which is an absolute exemption.

This is because you can purchase current Ordnance Survey mapping at the requested scale from one of our agents.  More information is available at this link:

http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/support/walk-in-outlets/find-your-nearest.html <http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/support/walk-in-outlets/find-your-nearest.html>

From your supplied address details, it appears that you reside in Switzerland?  You can still use the service at the above link, as the contact information (telephone number and e-mail) for each agent is detailed.

2. In relation to your field parcel changes, please see our response below in relation to your questions 3, 4 & 5.

3. I would like to know whether the area shaded in pink on Annexe 6 (supplied with request) bears now, or bore in 1988/9 the OS reference number "0890" as opposed to 0870.

4. I would like to know if the area shaded in pink on Annexe 6 (supplied with request) is not reference number 0890, what its correct reference number was in 1988/89 and is now.

5. I would like to know the date at which the modern reference 0870 was formally constituted with an area of 8.94 acres and previous field number from which the constituent parts of 0870 were taken together with the areas of such parts.

3, 4 & 5. This information is not held.

The numbers which you are quoting are old field parcel numbers, given to an area of land when Ordnance Survey historically showed measurements on our large scale mapping.  We no longer do this and therefore the areas measurement information is no longer shown in the large scale data.

The link below will take you to a page on our website which explains about area measurements.  These are now the responsibility of the Rural Payments Agency. Field parcel numbers on historical maps are now available from The National Archives (TNA) which is also detailed at this same link:  http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/support/knowledgebase/field-parcel-numbers.html <http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/support/knowledgebase/field-parcel-numbers.html>

As an additional point, Ordnance Survey is unable to check numbering on historic mapping to help in responding to your questions, as we no longer maintain a historic map archive. This archive closed in 2008 and our historic mapping was transferred and can now be obtained from the following legal deposit libraries:

The British Library
Web: http://portico.bl.uk/ <http://portico.bl.uk/> 
Email: maps@bl.gov.uk <mailto:maps@bl.gov.uk> 
Tel: 020 7412 7702

Bodleian Library Oxford
Web: http://www.ouls.ox.ac.uk/bodley/library/rooms/nbrr <http://www.ouls.ox.ac.uk/bodley/library/rooms/nbrr> 
Email: maps@bodley.ox.ac.uk <mailto:maps@bodley.ox.ac.uk> 
Tel: 01865 (2)77013

Cambridge University Library
Web: http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/deptserv/maps/ <http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/deptserv/maps/> 
Email: library@lib.cam.ac.uk <mailto:library@lib.cam.ac.uk> .
Tel: 01223 333000

National Library of Scotland
Web: http://www.nls.uk/collections/maps/index.html <http://www.nls.uk/collections/maps/index.html> 
Email: maps@nls.uk <mailto:maps@nls.uk> 
Tel: 0131 623 3970

Library of Trinity College Dublin
Web: http://www.tcd.ie/Library/libraries/map.php <http://www.tcd.ie/Library/libraries/map.php> 
Email: map.library@tcd.ie <mailto:map.library@tcd.ie> 
Tel: (+353 1) 896 2087/1544

National Library of Wales
Web: http://www.llgc.org.uk/index.php?id=maps <http://www.llgc.org.uk/index.php?id=maps> 
Email: holi@llgc.org.uk <mailto:holi@llgc.org.uk> 
Tel: 01970 632933

Otherwise the Oldmaps website has images of the overwhelming majority of past large scales mapping editions, please see link below:

http://www.old-maps.co.uk/index.html <http://www.old-maps.co.uk/index.html>

6.  I would like to know the effect on other fields. In the case of reorganizational plans I would like the entire reorganisation plan, from which I could identify the effects myself.

7. I would like to know the catalyst for the reorganisation of field 0870 or the larger area of which it is part, and when this took place.

8.  I would like to know the catalyst for the reorganisation of field 5851 or the larger area of which it is part and when this took place.  If there is a reorganisation plan showing previous field numbers and acreage and new field numbers with the same total acreage, I would like to receive that.

6, 7 & 8. This information is not held by Ordnance Survey.

This is because Ordnance Survey is not/was not involved with the reorganisation of any field boundaries.

Our remit it only to record the existence of physical features on our mapping. The pattern of fields on our mapping reflects what was current at the time of the last revision.

Ordnance Survey has processed your enquiry according to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000. As all the requested information is not held or has been withheld under an absolute exemption, we have determined that in all the circumstances of this case the Public interest consideration (section 17 FOIA) is not applicable.

If you are unhappy with our response, you may raise an internal appeal to our Appeals Officer at:

FOI Appeals Officer
Customer Service Centre
Ordnance Survey
Adanac Drive
SOUTHAMPTON
SO16 0AS

Please include the reference number above. 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.