Census 2001 - Localities
This dataset portrays the boundaries of ‘Localities’ in Scotland as at the 2001 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.
For the 2001 Census the method used to identify Localities was very similar to that used in 1991 in that it was based on identifying groups of high density postcodes.
Default
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
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GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0
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Statistical units
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GEMET - Concepts, version 2.4
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census survey
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statistical data
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urban settlement
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IPSV Subjects List
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Censuses
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Boundaries
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- Limitations on Public Access
- Other restrictions
- Other constraints
- No limitations to public access
- Use constraints
- Other restrictions
- Other constraints
- Open Government Licence
- Other constraints
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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
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SCT
ISO 3166-2 2007-12-13
Temporal reference
Temporal extent
Temporal extent
- Reference system identifier
- EPSG / OSGB 1936 / British National Grid (EPSG:27700) / 7.4
Distribution Information
Data format
- Data format
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Name Version WMS
1.3.0
WFS
2.0.0
ESRI Shapefile
1.0
Transfer options
- Resource Locator
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Protocol Resource Locator Name OGC:WMS
https://maps.gov.scot/server/services/NRS/Census2001/MapServer/WMSServer? Locality2001
OGC:WFS
https://maps.gov.scot/server/services/NRS/Census2001/MapServer/WFSServer? CEN2001:Locality2001
WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link
https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/geography/our-products/census-datasets/2001-census/2001-boundaries National Records of Scotland website
Data quality info
- Quality Scope
- Dataset
- Statement
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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
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dataset
- Metadata Date
- 2023-06-16T08:29:35
- Metadata standard name
- UK GEMINI
- Metadata standard version
-
2.3
Point of contact
- Organisation name
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National Records of Scotland
- Position name
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Geography
- Delivery point
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General Register House, 2 Princes Street
- City
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Edinburgh
- Administrative area
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Scotland
- Postal code
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EH1 3YY
- Country
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United Kingdom
- Electronic mail address
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geographycustomerservices@nrscotland.gov geographycustomerservices@nrscotland.gov.uk
- Role
- Point of contact