How OS data can support better planning and future modelling for new housing developments

The new government has pledged to build 1.5 million more homes and take steps to “unblock our planning system” by creating a new taskforce to “get Britain building again” and accelerate stalled housing sites – a reform that will help build the homes we need and speed up the infrastructure to support them.

This presents a challenge as policy makers will need accurate location data and trusted insights to identify the most suitable areas for development, while supporting sustainable urban growth and land management. Questions like: is there an existing road network and an energy infrastructure capable of serving additional housing? How close and how accessible are local services such as schools and hospitals? Is there adequate green space? What investment is required to improve natural habitats?

Brownfield land will most likely be targeted first under its plans, followed by “grey belts” – low-quality areas such as disused car parks and wasteland on parts of protected land known as the green belt. These areas are being considered for new housing developments to alleviate urban housing shortages and to create a new generation of new towns, while attempting to preserve the natural landscape and rural characteristics. The concept of grey belts aims to balance the need for urban expansion with the preservation of the countryside.

Ordnance Survey (OS) data plays a critical role in identifying and analysing the geography of Great Britain – firstly, its usage (for instance, whether it is used for residential, commercial or educational purposes) and secondly, the nature of land cover through a classification of what is covering the ground surface – for instance woodland, pasture or made ground. To understand areas optimum for house building, you need a combination of multiple data assets. The OS National Geographic Database (OS NGD) is the latest product offer from OS and includes over 25 million land use parcels, all with associated land cover and habitat information. Examples include Land Use data which supports the analysis and identification of suitable sites in order to meet specific requirements such as size or current usage, but also the land cover within these areas.

OS has recently added new data enhancements to the OS NGD which will help support planners further: two new classifications of land use sites and linking site classification with topographic features.

Land use sites highlighted in different colours, including attractions, transport, construction and more.
© Crown copyright and database rights. Ordnance Survey 2025
The graphic shows the different ways that land is used in OS NGD Land Use data

But the nature of the land itself is only part of the answer. How accessible is it? What local infrastructure is nearby? Supporting this analysis, the OS NGD contains a wealth of data relating to transport networks, existing housing and commercial and civic facilities, enabling regional comparative assessment and facilitating the site identification process. All of this put together creates a powerful data set helping to drive informed decision making.

This analysis and the decision making itself is crucial for planners and policymakers, as it enables decisions about where and how to develop new housing to be taken without significantly disrupting existing land use patterns or the environment, as well as understanding if any additional impacts might occur which need to be mitigated.

OS data is already being used to underpin a Local Government Brownfield site register alongside other planning data. This prototype map has been designed to accelerate the modernisation of public sector planning services and will support better relationships between communities and developments, while removing uncertainties and preventing delays in planning decisions.

"Accurate location data is fundamental to the strategic planning of new developments as it provides a clear picture of the current land use. This ensures that housing projects can be implemented in a way that minimises environmental impact and maintains a balance between development and conservation. Planners can then use this data to identify the most suitable areas for development, taking into consideration factors such as existing infrastructure, natural resources, and potential ecological impacts."

John Kimmance, Chief Customer Officer at OS

John added: "We like to think that nobody knows Britain better than OS. We’re responsible for ensuring that our data is maintained and updated with a team of over 200 surveyors and 2 aircrafts, using AI and machine learning to drive map updates and change detection, at a rate of around 20,000 changes a day to the OS NGD. Our accurate location data is critical to building new housing developments because local authorities and planners need high levels of accuracy and detail which can be trusted to help underpin decision making, from where to how many properties."

In recent years, OS has worked closely with local authorities to map and build detailed pictures of local authority sites to establish which land could be redeveloped to meet housing targets and where new homes could be built on surplus government owned land. A relevant case study is a project by Broxtowe Borough Council to produce a Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA). Using OS mapping, the planning team was able to save time and money by completing an analysis in hours, compared with what usually would have taken six months. Broxtowe Council was selected as a ‘pilot authority’ for creating a register of brownfield sites and also demonstrated that with accurate and trusted data, it can move forward efficiently and confidently to the planning stage, while also ensuring public transparency.

OS location data has also been used by local government to create new urban green spaces in deprived areas, while also supporting a vision for future transport, allowing for better planning of local roads to create more ‘liveable’ local communities. OS is also working with the Geospatial Commission to release the National Underground Asset Register (NUAR), a new digital map of underground pipes and cables for the UK, which will be vital when planning the necessary energy infrastructure for new build sites, especially if they are on grey belt land.

Authoritative and detailed location data is a real leveller because it can identify suitable land use and protect conservation areas, as well as mitigate risk from potential flood zones and support sustainable development. For instance, it can support the optimised positioning of solar roof panels and communal heat pumps, meaning that local authorities and planners can make better informed and sustainable decisions.  Geospatial data is a rich source of information and insight, which is why it has a critical role to play in modelling national physical infrastructure and new developments.

Ordnance Survey National Geographic Database


Ordnance Survey
By Ordnance Survey

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