What data is expected?
A database of postcodes/zipcodes and the corresponding geospatial locations in terms of a latitude and a longitude (or similar co-ordinates in an openly published national co-ordinate system). A database which gives a location in terms of the name of a town or a street without lat/long co-ordinates is not considered acceptable unless the name of the town or street can be further converted to a latitude and longitude by means of other open data (eg an open gazetteer with latitude and longitude attributes).
What data is available
- Does the data exist? Yes
- Is data in digital form? Yes
- Publicly available? Yes
- Is the data available for free? Yes
- Is the data available online? Yes (Here)
- Is the data machine readable? Yes (CSV)
- Available in bulk? Yes
- Openly licensed? Yes (No URL given)
- Is the data provided on a timely and up to date basis? Yes
Details
Open postcode data which meets the specification here (postcodes and corresponding geospatial locations - lat/long or equivalent) is available via the Ordnance Survey's Code-Point Open dataset, which contains the 1.4m GB post codes each with a UK national grid reference of the postcode's location in eastings and northings (convertable to lat/long by published formulae) and with the administrative area (country/county/district/ward, plus National Health Service Region and Authority) in which it is located. This is updated quarterly. Similar Postcode data for the devolved province of Northern Ireland is not available as Open Data. The main UK address database (~24m individual addresses) is confusing called the Postcode Address File. This is a subscription-only database privately owned by the Royal Mail. The Open Data User Group have been pressing for its release too - see http://data.gov.uk/blog/dont-sell-our-postcodes-odug-on-why-we-should-have-open-addressing-in-the-uk
Contributors
Reviewers
- Katelyn Rogers
- Daniela Mattern
- Andrew Stott
Submitters
- Owen Boswarva
- Daniela Mattern
- Anonymous
- Andrew Stott