Open Address Register (FOI241274)

Open Address Register

Request for information - Ref no: FOI241274

6 November 2024

Information request

Thank you for your request dated 5 October 2024.

We have handled your request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000. A copy of your request is set out in the extract below:

"This is a freedom of information request. Please could you release the Open Address Register dataset that was assembled by Ordnance Survey using open data, that was created in 2016? (As mentioned in the budget of that year.)

To be clear, I am looking to obtain the actual dataset of addresses that was produced for the study. Given it was based on open data and was assembled without using any proprietary data (eg, the Postcode Address File), I assume there will not be any licensing conditions that would prevent this.

(Also please note this dataset is open data – the whole point is that it was planned to be freely open date, released to the public.)"

Our response

I confirm that Ordnance Survey does hold the requested information.

Please find attached a copy of the sample data (xlsx) which is approximately 17,000 records for Beverley in Yorkshire.

Advice and Assistance

It is important to be aware that the sample data provided to you in response to this request was the data from a pilot which was not continued. The sample data has significant quality concerns which are present in the sample data, these include (but are not limited to) the following:

The UPRN assignment to an address string cannot be relied upon and significant incorrect allocations exist.
Not all addresses could be created and therefore are not included.
Accuracy issues with the address string attribution.

It should also be noted that this sample data was created in 2016 and has not been updated since.

The data supplied to you contains OS and GeoPlace intellectual property rights and as such continues to be protected by copyright and database rights. You are free to use it for your own purposes, including private study and non-commercial research, and for any other purpose authorised by an exception in current copyright law. Documents (except photographs) can be used in the UK without requiring permission for the purposes of news reporting. Any other reuse, for example commercial publication, would require the permission of the copyright holder.

Next steps

Internal review

If you are unhappy with our response, you may request an internal review with our Internal Review Officer by contacting them, within two months of receipt of our final response to your request, as follows:

Internal Review Officer
Customer Service Centre
Ordnance Survey
Adanac Drive
Southampton
SO16 0AS

Please include the reference number above. You may request an internal review where you believe Ordnance Survey has:

Failed to respond to your request within the time limits (normally 20 working days)
Failed to tell you whether or not we hold the information
Failed to provide the information you have requested
Failed to explain the reasons for refusing a request
Failed to correctly apply an exemption or exception

The Internal Review Officer will not have been involved in the original decision. They will conduct an independent internal review and will inform you of the outcome of the review normally within 20 working days, but exceptionally within 40 working days, in line with the Information Commission’s guidance.

The Internal Review Officer will either: uphold the original decision, provide an additional explanation of the exemption/s applied or release further information, if it is considered appropriate to do so.

Appeal to Information Commission (ICO)

If, following the outcome of the internal review you remain dissatisfied with our response, you may complain to the Information Commission (ICO) within three months of receiving our response. You should normally raise your concern with the ICO within six weeks of receiving the outcome of an internal review.

Visit the ICO website to report a concern.

Call the ICO helpline on 0303 123 1113.

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See our previous responses to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests.

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