Public Sector bodies can access Aerial Photo and Height Data for Free
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 England, Scotland and Wales - free at the point of use.
Titled 'The Aerial Photography for Great Britain (APGB)', this recently announced news supports the government’s newly formed Geospatial Commission, which aims to help capture, coordinate and harness the economic value of data linked to location.
But what does this all mean for Public Sector bodies? Take a look at our FAQs below to find out.
What is the APGB?
Aerial Photography Great Britain is the result of a partnership between Bluesky and Getmapping to work with the governments Geospatial Commission in providing a wealth of data, free at the point of use, to Local and Central Government, Health bodies, emergency services, Parish Councils and other government-funded services across England and Wales (additional charges may be incurred for users in Scotland).
Does it just include aerial photography?
The APGB initiative includes far more than just aerial imagery data. Alongside our most up to date aerial imagery at both 12.5 and 25cm resolutions, those eligible have access to infrared imagery and 3D digital height models.
What can the data be used for?
The data available has far-reaching uses across many departments within Public Sector organisations, including; Planning and Building Control, Parking, Conservation, Waste Management and Emergency Response.
How can data be accessed?
Firstly you need to sign up to become an APGB member. Simply visit the APGB website and create an online account (you will need your PSMA number) and you can then follow the simple steps to order data.
How is the data delivered?
The data is available to APGB members through a variety of methods:
Download from the APGB webshop.
Delivery on a hard drive.
Via a Web Mapping Service (WMS). The WMS feeds are a cost-effective and efficient way of giving a whole organisation access to our high-quality data, without the need for large local copies of the datasets being maintained in-house, saving time and free-ing up IT resources.