Request for information - Ref No: FOI231150
Request
Thank you for your email of 4 May 2023, requesting information from Ordnance Survey in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000, as set out in the extract below:
“I wish to obtain all the data you hold for a survey of the property boundary line at XX and adjacent land on the 27th May.
I was very pleased to see the surveyor was using accurate GPS location equipment to accurately locate (within 1cm) the hedge/other features.
I understand the FOI act covers all data you hold and would like a copy of the information/data/GPS location points he obtained which I believe should be overlaid onto the OS tile (scale 1:1250) for my review and comment if required.”
Our response
I confirm that Ordnance Survey does hold some of the information you have requested. Where the information is not held or exempt from disclosure this is stated.
When a survey is undertaken, any amendments which the surveyor makes to the Ordnance Survey mapping are saved into our database, following the completion of a survey, the only information we hold is the digital mapping data. An extract of this mapping was provided to you on 5 May 2023, by Customer Services.
We therefore consider the mapping extract to be exempt under section 21 (Information accessible by other means) since this has already been provided to you. In addition, the information is intended for publication to our customers in accordance with our routine scheduled release of OS MasterMap Topography Layer and will be available by contacting one of our Licensed Partners.
I confirm we do not hold the GPS points. These points are known as survey/control points; once created, the surveyor uses them to survey the site but when the survey is complete, these points are then deleted leaving only the newly captured detail.
I confirm, other than the mapping extract, which has already been supplied to you, we do not hold any additional survey information or data.
Internal review
Your enquiry has been processed according to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000. If you are unhappy with our response, you may request an internal review with our Internal Review Officer by contacting them, within two months of receipt of our final response to your Freedom of Information (FOI) request, as follows:
Internal Review Officer
Customer Service Centre
Ordnance Survey
Adanac Drive
Southampton
SO16 0AS
Please include the reference number above. You may request an internal review where you believe Ordnance Survey has:
- Failed to respond to your request within the time limits (normally 20 working days)
- Failed to tell you whether or not we hold the information
- Failed to provide the information you have requested
- Failed to explain the reasons for refusing a request
- Failed to correctly apply an exemption or exception
The Internal Review Officer will not have been involved in the original decision. They will conduct an independent internal review and will inform you of the outcome of the review normally within 20 working days, but exceptionally within 40 working days, in line with the Information Commissioner’s guidance.
The Internal Review Officer will either: uphold the original decision, provide an additional explanation of the exemption/s applied or release further information, if it is considered appropriate to do so.
Appeal to Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
If, following the outcome of the internal review you remain unhappy with our response, you may raise an appeal, within three months of receiving our response, with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Further information can be found on the ICO website (ico.org.uk) under ‘Report a concern’ or you may wish to call the ICO helpline on 0303 123 1113.