Identification info

Metadata Language

English

Character set

UTF8

Dataset Reference Date (Publication)

2003-02-13

Dataset Reference Date (Creation)

2003-02-13

Identifier

www.nrscotland.gov.uk / Localities2001

Maintenance and update frequency

As needed

GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0

• Statistical units

GEMET - Concepts, version 2.4

• urban settlement

• census survey

• statistical data

IPSV Subjects List

• Boundaries

• Censuses

Limitations on Public Access

Other restrictions

Other constraints

No limitations to public access

Use constraints

Other restrictions

Other constraints

Open Government Licence

Other constraints

The following statements must be used when reproducing or using this material: Copyright National Records of Scotland, contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right (insert year).

Spatial representation type

Vector

Distance

0.000125  urn:ogc:def:uom:EPSG::9001

Denominator

10000

Topic category

• Boundaries

Extent

SCT

ISO 3166-2 2007-12-13

 

Reference system identifier

EPSG / OSGB 1936 / British National Grid (EPSG:27700) / 7.4

Distribution Information

 

Data quality info

Quality Scope

Dataset

Statement

This dataset portrays the boundaries of ‘Localities’ in Scotland as at the 1991 Census..

There is widespread interest in statistics for the built-up areas in Scotland as most of the population lives in a built-up environment. When the former two-tier local government structure of regions and districts came into being in May 1975, the small local authorities known as large and small burghs were lost. However, Census users stated that there was a need to know the population (and characteristics) of built-up areas.

In 1981, the method used to define ‘Localities’ in Scotland was, in effect, based on built-up area. More specifically a ‘Locality’ was defined as:

‘A continuous built-up area that had a population of approximately 500 or more at the time of the 1971 Census.’

In deciding whether one built-up area joined on to another, gaps of more than about 1 km were considered to form a break. In addition, those areas that had existed as former burghs were separately identified, even if they were joined to other localities. In most cases the old burgh boundary was used to make the division. However, localities did not coincide exactly with the former burghs if the latter were not wholly built up.

Urban growth between 1971 and 1981 was reflected in the planning of the 1981 Enumeration Districts (EDs) so that each Locality was an aggregate of one or more EDs. During the ED planning, the new local authorities were asked to confirm that the localities based on the 1971 Census would be valid for the purposes of the 1981 Census. This process identified 540 localities and following an examination of the 1981 Census output for Localities, the Scottish Office identified a further 17 urban areas which had less than 500 population at the time of the 1971 Census but which should have qualified in 1981 as localities because of population growth.

By the time of the Census in 1991, NRS had digitised the boundaries of postcodes which made possible the calculation of population densities within postcodes.

The method used to identify localities in 1991 was a three stage process:

1. Postcodes were classified as ‘urban’ or ‘rural’.

A postcode was defined as ‘urban’ if:

• It had been assigned to a locality in 1981; or

• It had a population density of 5 or more per hectare.

Otherwise it was defined as ‘rural’

2. Groups of adjoining urban postcodes were then identified.

3. Finally, local authorities were asked to suggest any changes needed to refine the above.

The local authorities were asked to bear in mind that stages 1 and 2 may have failed to include postcodes that were unpopulated but which should still be deemed urban, eg industrial estates. They were also asked to consider situations where stages 1 & 2 may have combined several areas into one locality, but, each of the areas is considered locally to have a separate identity.

This 1991 method (1, 2 & 3 above) identified 603 localities, 448 of which contained 1,000 residents or more, with the remainder containing a population of 500 or more but less that 1000.

From 2001 onwards Localities were determined by:

1. firstly creating ‘Settlements’ which were based on population density calculations (For more information on the creation of Settlements, see the metadata associated with the Settlements dataset.); and

2. then, a Locality value was assigned to each of the postcodes in the Settlement, based on whether they had been included within a previous Locality).

Postcodes with the same Locality value were then aggregated together to form Localities. Most Settlement and Locality boundaries are co-incident – however, larger Settlements can be subdivided into two or more Localities

 

Metadata

File identifier

6348dd00-4cd6-4b19-bc86-3de3e44c3254 XML

Metadata Language

English

Resource type

Dataset

Hierarchy level name

dataset

Metadata Date

2025-02-11T13:26:07.251Z

Metadata standard name

UK GEMINI

Metadata standard version

2.3