Postcode data to be free in 2010

[RichardCranium]

A very valuable and useful data set is to be made freelly available. Link.

Postcode data to be free in 2010

The government is planning to give anyone free access to postcode data.

Currently organisations that want access to datasets that tie postcodes to physical locations cannot do so without incurring a charge.

Following a brief consultation, the postcode information is set to be freed in April 2010.

(I wonder if the local authorities will get a refund on the Mapping Services Agreement? That came out of your Council Tax, BTW.)

So get working on all those Plans B this will enable...

[NickFitz]

Unfortunately we still won't get free access to the PAF, but its still a major step forward - Tim Berners-Lee even tweeted about it the other day

[Durbs]

Beauty!!! I desperately need a 'proper' updated postcode/lat long list for one of my Plan B's. Have not been willing to pay the silly price up to now though as this Plan B is currently more hobby than money maker. If it includes that, i'll be a very happy chap.

[AtW]

I'll take it if it includes lat/long coords with +/- 1 meter error for my Plan D...

[RichardCranium]

Right, that's it, I'm on an anal spelling quest. Sir Richard of Unmerkinness.

I'll take it if it includes lat/long coords with +/- 1 meter error for my Plan D...

metre.

[Sysman]

Beauty!!! I desperately need a 'proper' updated postcode/lat long list for one of my Plan B's. Have not been willing to pay the silly price up to now though as this Plan B is currently more hobby than money maker. If it includes that, i'll be a very happy chap.

I looked into the cost in the mid-90s and was astonished how high it was. If you consider that a Plan B should have low start up costs, this definitely wasn't suitable.

[Spacecadet]

I'll take it if it includes lat/long coords with +/- 1 meter error for my Plan D...

Thats in the PAF, so unlikely

[AtW]

If everyone can get it for free then it would make it harder to get paying Plan B - cost of a product is a good deterrent to competitors who'd otherwise might nick your idea very quickly once they see it working.

[RichardCranium]

Thats in the PAF, so unlikely

I would expect them to have to provide the coordinates of the postcode's centroid in some form. If they use lat/lon, it's free. If they use Ordnance Survey grid references, then we have a new problem... they're not free either.

So the Royal Mail might still be able to wriggle out of this by charging a licence fee for the OS component.

[Spacecadet]

I would expect them to have to provide the coordinates of the postcode's centroid in some form. If they use lat/lon, it's free. If they use Ordnance Survey grid references, then we have a new problem... they're not free either.

So the Royal Mail might still be able to wriggle out of this by charging a licence fee for the OS component.

The PAF file uses Northings and Eastings accurate to 100 meters (they used to do it more accurately but AFAIK have discontinued that service)

With a bit of mathematical trickery it's possible to convert to Lat Long