A review of the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement (PSGA) and making the National Underground Asset Register (NUAR) fully operational by the end of 2025 have been presented as priorities in the new version of the Government’s Geospatial Strategy.
Published by the Geospatial Commission today, the UK Geospatial Strategy 2030 updates priorities from its predecessor in 2020 and is aimed at boosting the economic benefits and improving public services through the use of the relevant data.
Sir Bernard Silverman, chair of the Geospatial Commission, said: “Location based insights have proven their enduring value again and again - during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, tracking outbreaks across the country was critical to inform public health decisions. The power of location will continue to underpin solutions to our biggest challenges including climate change, energy security and economic growth.
“Our strategy supports the drive towards the adoption of critical technologies and continued investment in UK research and development.”
One of the priorities is a review of the PSGA – which provides public sector bodies with access to geospatial data – to ensure it remains fit for purpose over its seven years. This will include an evaluation of the data and services included, the delivery model and the foundations in place for effective use of the data.
It will be accompanied by research – due to completed by summer of next year – to understand the implications of geographic changes to where people work and the land used for employment.
Sub-surface map extension
Another priority is for the continued roll out of the NUAR - the digital map to support the installation and maintenance of sub-surface pipes and cables in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
A minimum viable product is currently in use in North-East England, Wales and London, and there are plans to make this available around England and Northern Ireland by spring of next year and for the NUAR to be fully operational by the end of 2025. This is expected to deliver at least £350 million per year in benefits by preventing accidental asset strikes and improving the efficiency of work.
The document places a strong emphasis on data in land use, with a pledge to explore the creation of a Land Use Analysis Taskforce that could provide a shared spatial analysis capability for the public sector. This would come with considering how government, academia and industry can improve links in land use decision making, and the development of a standard taxonomy for the data.
A series of pilots under the National Land Data Programme will examine the capabilities of prototype tools for decision support and visualisation.
There will be efforts to assess the potential for specific sectors, including the publication of a report by the end of next year on how location data could be used in healthcare.
Mobility, chargepoints and property
Other areas to be investigated include how geospatial applications can support the delivery of connected and automated mobility, the wider roll out of electric vehicle chargepoints, and unlocking greater value in the property ecosystem.
There are also plans to publish the key findings of the Geospatial Commission’s Earth Observation pilot for public services by autumn 2024, to conduct a review of the remote sensing market with a view to providing long term access models, and to work with universities to publish best practice on geospatial learning in data science and geography courses.
In the strategy’s foreword, Minister for AI and Intellectual Property Viscount Camrose says: “This updated UK Geospatial Strategy builds on the approach set out in the 2020 Strategy and aligns with the UK Science and Technology Framework published in March this year. It ensures that we are in a strong position to capitalise on geospatial opportunities arising from the technological revolution.”
