Aerial mapping companies Bluesky and Getmapping are pleased to announce that, working with UK, Welsh, and Scottish governments, they have entered into an agreement for the next two years which makes their data available free-at-the-point-of-use to public sector bodies in England, Scotland and Wales.
In a first for Great Britain, the latest and most detailed aerial photography, together with 3D height models and Colour Infrared imagery, is now available to more than 4500 public sector organisations. The Aerial Photography for Great Britain (APGB) contract will support the government’s recently announced Geospatial Commission, which aims to help capture, coordinate and harness the economic value of data linked to location.
“The government has shown an understanding of the importance of geospatial data, not only for public sector services but also for the wider economy,” added Rachel Tidmarsh, Managing Director, Bluesky. “Agreements such as the APGB contract, together with the newly created Geospatial Commission, will drive the effective use of data: unlocking billions of pounds of extra value for the economy each year.”
Dave Horner, Managing Director, Getmapping added, “We are delighted to be continuing to work with Government to ensure all public sector organisations have access the most up to date and accurate geospatial data available to support them in the delivery of effective and efficient public services.”
Under this contract the data – 12.5 and 25 centimetre resolution aerial photography, 5 metre Digital Terrain and 2 metre Digital Surface Models (DTM/DSM) and 50 centimetre Colour Infrared imagery, is now available free-at-the-point-of-use, to Local and Central Government, Health bodies, emergency services organisations, Parish Councils and other government funded services across England and Wales. (Additional charges may be incurred for users in Scotland.)
Eligible organisations, once registered, can download data from a newly created online mapping portal – https://apgb.blueskymapshop.com, or receive the data via a secure Web Mapping Service (WMS) feed or delivery on storage media such as hard drive or memory stick.
