Identification info

Alternative title

Frozen Postcode 2022

Metadata Language

English

Character set

UTF8

Dataset Reference Date (Creation)

2024-05-21

Dataset Reference Date (Publication)

2024-05-21

Identifier

www.nrscotland.gov.uk / FrozenPostcode2022

Maintenance and update frequency

As needed

GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0

• Statistical units

GEMET - Concepts, version 2.4

• census survey

• statistical data

IPSV Subjects List

• Boundaries

• Postcodes

• 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

Denominator

10000

Topic category

• Boundaries

Code

S92000003

 

Code

EPSG:4258

Code

EPSG:27700

Distribution Information

 

Data quality info

Quality Scope

Dataset

Statement

This dataset contains 2022 frozen Postcode boundaries

National Records of Scotland (NRS) Geography first began plotting Postcode boundaries in 1973. The Post Office (as it was at that time) assigned addresses to Postcodes and NRS Geography staff manually traced the boundaries around the addresses using Ordnance Survey (OS) 1:10,000 and 1:50,000 maps to reference the boundary lines. Current digital boundaries are created with ESRI’s ArcGIS platform. Since the introduction of ArcGIS, NRS Geography utilises Ordnance Survey’s (very accurate and detailed) MasterMap as the base map for positioning the Postcode boundaries and grid references.

Postcode boundaries are subject to continuous change due to new addresses, single addresses acquiring large user Postcodes as mail volume increases (e.g. business addresses), and the need to restrict the number of addresses per unit to less than 100.

NRS Postcode boundaries are based on the Postcode Address File (PAF®) received from Royal Mail®. Royal Mail (RM) allocate and maintain Postcodes for the purposes of delivering mail, but do not produce the Postcode boundary dataset, NRS create this.

The PAF data is provided to NRS Geography on a quarterly basis and provide details of new and deleted Postcodes. This information is improved by data from local authorities via the One Scotland Gazetteer. Using all available data, the Geography Branch digitisers update the Postcode dataset, by merging deleted Postcodes into a suitable neighbouring Postcode, and drawing in new Postcodes.

We aim to ensure that the Postcode boundary encompasses all addresses that belong to the Postcode, and can be distinguished as being either urban or rural. In urban Postcodes, we follow the minimum sensible boundary, which is the area necessary to ensure all address content is contained while following features (road centre lines, back garden fences, and/or natural features such as rivers and streams); whereas for rural Postcodes that have scattered housing and farms, the Postcode boundary will normally have fields and open land included.

We compare our Postcode boundary data to the Scottish Address Directory and investigate any discrepancies, correcting our boundaries where possible and if necessary, report back any errors to One Scotland Gazetteer, Ordnance Survey and Royal Mail respectively.

The boundaries are available for two geographic extents:

Extent of the Realm (EoR)

The boundaries in this dataset are to the Mean Low Water mark so that the coastline is extended to be consistent with Local Authorities.

and

Clipped to the coastline with inland water removed (MHW)

The boundaries in this dataset have been clipped to the coastline (Mean High Water Mark) with inland water removed. This version closely represents map users expectations of how a coastal boundary should look.

Inland water has also been removed as listed in the Standard Area Measurements (SAM) produced by the Office for National Statistics.

 

Metadata

File identifier

a517d292-4021-4ba3-8182-e7380ab3f106 XML

Metadata Language

English

Resource type

Dataset

Metadata Date

2024-05-17T14:18:07

Metadata standard name

UK GEMINI

Metadata standard version

2.3