> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.os.uk/more-than-maps/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.os.uk/more-than-maps/data-demonstrators/addressing-and-location-demonstrators/os-ngd-address/royal-mail-address-feature-type.md).

# Royal Mail Address Feature Type

A Lightning Talk

## What is the Royal Mail Address Feature Type?

{% hint style="info" %}
In schema versions 1.0 and 2.0 of the Built Address, Historic Address, Non-Addressable Object and Pre-Build Address Feature Types, Royal Mail data existed as the [Postal Address Related Component](https://docs.os.uk/osngd/data-structure/address/address-related-components/postal-address). In schema versions 3.0 and onwards, the Postal Address related component table no longer exists as its contents are now part of the Royal Mail Address feature type. For further information about previous schema versions and previous data structures, visit the OS NGD Address [theme page](https://docs.os.uk/osngd/data-structure/address).
{% endhint %}

<figure><img src="https://3774974716-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FzIfdYInJITdcxaLLMhlD%2Fuploads%2FYTbT2Vthv6lpmI2JNDcK%2Fngd_address_image1.png?alt=media&amp;token=b8db07f3-04b3-4e4e-88c3-576873a6ccbc" alt=""><figcaption><p>Related Components in the OS NGD Address theme and the feature types that they are connected to</p></figcaption></figure>

OS NGD Address data is made up of two collections, each comprising six feature types. One of these feature types is [Royal Mail Address](https://docs.os.uk/osngd/data-structure/address/gb-address/royal-mail-address).

Royal Mail Address provides Royal Mail delivery point addresses. Royal Mail's Postcode Address File (PAF) data is represented as point geometry and holds information describing the relationship that they have with Local Authority addresses via the UPRN (Unique Property Reference Number).

This feature type includes every Royal Mail PAF regardless of whether it has an associated Local Authority Address, so therefore includes a more complete view of Postal Addresses than AddressBase products.

As of schema version 2.0, the Royal Mail Address Feature Type includes additional enhancements:

* **Full NYB content:** 100% inclusion of Royal Mail’s Not Yet Built (NYB) addresses, with Unique Delivery Point Reference Number (UDPRN) as the primary key. OS-derived geometry is provided for NYB records.
* **Full MR content:** 100% inclusion of Royal Mail’s Multiple Residence (MR) addresses, provided as a related component, with Unique Multiple Residence Reference Number (UMRRN) as the primary key.
* **NYB and MR matched to UPRNs:** Identifying where Royal Mail's NYB and MR addresses have been associated to a UPRN.
* **Further enhanced attribution:** Additional OS-derived metadata, including Royal Mail Full Address, Country, Primary UPRN Match, Postcode Area, Postcode District and Postcode Sector attribution.

## What is the attribution?​

Royal Mail Address combines full Royal Mail PAF content with Ordnance Survey’s authoritative geospatial attribution. The following images show the attribution derived from Royal Mail PAF and the OS and Local Authority derived attribution.

<figure><img src="https://3774974716-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FzIfdYInJITdcxaLLMhlD%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-9a155c6657b3e0fe88d31288124040663b79e696%2Fngd-royal-mail-address-paf-attributes.png?alt=media" alt="Image of Royal Mail PAF derived attribution for a Royal Mail Address"><figcaption><p>Royal Mail PAF derived attribution for Royal Mail Address</p></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="https://3774974716-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FzIfdYInJITdcxaLLMhlD%2Fuploads%2Fgt7XUxEysUixI1hKuC9W%2Fimage.png?alt=media&amp;token=cbb1ebe6-eff2-4792-a86a-fc0592a1507e" alt=""><figcaption><p>Local Authority and Ordnance Survey derived attribution for Royal Mail Address</p></figcaption></figure>

## Related Components

Related component tables are also supplied with the Royal Mail Address feature type, as of schema version 2.0:

{% hint style="info" %}
Related components (Multiple Residence, Delivery Point Alias and Other Alias) will only be provided for Royal Mail Address features if the Description attribute is 'Postcode Address File'. Against all other Royal Mail Address features, the related components will be populated as null.&#x20;

From October 2026, Delivery Point Alias and Other Alias related component tables will not be populated upon receipt, appearing empty. These related component tables are planned to be populated in a future enhancement to the OS NGD Address theme.
{% endhint %}

* [**Multiple Residence**](https://docs.os.uk/osngd/data-structure/address/address-related-components/multiple-residence): Identify addresses that
  &#x20;have a shared delivery point; this means premises with one front door, or delivery point, that has been subdivided into flats, units or other separate occupancies.
* [**Delivery Point Alias**](https://docs.os.uk/osngd/data-structure/address/address-related-components/delivery-point-alias): Alias' for delivery points from Royal Mail's Delivery Point Alias (DPA) table including Trading Names and Building Name details where a Building Number is the official building identifier.
* [**Other Alias**](https://docs.os.uk/osngd/data-structure/address/address-related-components/other-alias): Alternate names for counties, localities and thoroughfares. County aliases provide alternate names for a county, including Traditional, Administrative and Former Postal County information. Locality aliases include old short-form names, local names and Postally Not Required (PNR) Localities.

For further information on related components and how to use them, visit the [related components section](https://docs.os.uk/osngd/data-structure/address/address-related-components) of the OS NGD Address documentation.

## Geometry

Royal Mail Address records will contain a 2D point geometry in BNG (EPSG: 27700) for the GB Address Collection and WGS84 (EPSG: 4326) for the Islands Address Collection.

\>99% of Royal Mail Address PAF records have been directly matched to a Local Authority Record and subsequently the Local Authority geometry has been attached to the Royal Mail record. Direct matches could be a Built Address, Historic Address, Pre-build Address or a Non-addressable Object that is not a street record.

If the PAF record was unable to be directly matched to a Local Authority record, then it may be matched to a Parent, Neighbour or Street record in Local Authority data to give the PAF record an estimated position.

## Match Type and Geometry Allocation

There are four kinds of match between Royal Mail Unique Delivery Point Reference Number (UDPRN) and OS and LSG Unique Property Reference Numbers (UPRN). The type of match is described in the [matchtype](https://docs.os.uk/osngd/data-structure/address/gb-address/royal-mail-address#matchtype) attribute.

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="1 - Direct" %}

#### Direct&#x20;

A Royal Mail record with a direct match will be matched to a Built address, Historic address, Pre-build address or Non-addressable Object that is not a street record.&#x20;

When a direct match is achieved, then the PAF record will be allocated the Local Authority record’s geometry.
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="2 - Parent" %}

#### Parent

If the PAF record cannot be directly matched, it may be matched to the relevant Parent record.

If a parent match is achieved, the PAF record will be assigned the parent’s geometry.
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="3 - Street" %}

#### Street&#x20;

If a PAF record cannot be matched directly or to a Parent record, then it will be matched to the relevant Street record if possible.

If this is achieved, then the PAF record will be assigned the street record’s geometry.
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="4 - Unmatched" %}

#### Unmatched

If the PAF record is unable to be matched to any of the above then it will be given either the centroid of the postcode unit, sector, district or area – in listed order of preference.&#x20;

Where this hasn’t been possible it will be allocated an internal centre point of the Local Authority area or Island where the PAF record is located. As this is the case, it is possible that these geometries may fall within other buildings, retail sites, greenspace or any other sites.
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

### Multiple Matches

Multiple URPRNs can be matched to a single UPRN. Therefore, a single UPRN can be present in the Royal Mail Address feature type more than once.

UPRNs will be matched to UDPRNs daily by GeoPlace.

<figure><img src="https://3774974716-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FzIfdYInJITdcxaLLMhlD%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-8908a48759597f96a44d910b2ceb584dad60e91f%2Fngd-royal-mail-address-multi-matches.png?alt=media" alt="Image showing 1 UPRN matching to multiple UDPRNs" width="375"><figcaption><p>Examples of one UPRN having multiple UDPRN matches</p></figcaption></figure>

Where there are multiple potential matches, this will be exposed and the relationships explained using metadata / attribution.

Where a multiple relationship exists, but the customer only wants to pick one UDPRN to match to a UPRN, as of Royal Mail Address schema version 2.0, the [primaryuprnmatch](https://docs.os.uk/osngd/data-structure/address/gb-address/royal-mail-address#primaryuprnmatch) attribute denotes this multiple match and flags the "primary" match.

This functionality also helps indicate to users which match they would have seen in earlier products and schema versions that only allowed one-to-one matching, to enable system continuity.

## Royal Mail Address vs AddressBase Premium Delivery Address Comparison

<figure><img src="https://3774974716-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FzIfdYInJITdcxaLLMhlD%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-0eb473f2601727d0f11784839d9c06aed0a8a58e%2Fngd-royal-mail-address-ngd-vs-abp.png?alt=media" alt="Diagram showing Royal Mail Address vs AddressBase Premium Delivery Address Comparison"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## Distribution options

Owing to the combination of Royal Mail PAF, Ordnance Survey and Local Authority attribution, there are different options of distribution and licensing of this data depending on the level of attribution you require.

<figure><img src="https://3774974716-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FzIfdYInJITdcxaLLMhlD%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-9380805da98db9e2db5c62a5208f948c67c3e396%2Fngd-royal-mail-address-distribution.png?alt=media" alt="Diagram showing what attribution is available for which products"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

***

Links that may be useful:

{% embed url="<https://osngd.gitbook.io/osngd/>" %}

{% embed url="<https://osdatahub.os.uk/>" %}

This content has been developed from what was originally a Lightning Talk PowerPoint slide set. These slides are available to PSGA members to view and download from the [PSGA members area of the OS website](https://auth.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/my.policy)


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