Code-Point with Polygons

Code-Point with Polygons | Data Products | OSOrdnance Survey

Code-Point with Polygons is a dataset that contains the notional area of postcode units, designed to allow customers to display and analyse any data collected at the postcode level. Polygons within this product are derived from georeferenced Royal Mail Postal Address File (PAF) delivery addresses and processed using a Thiessen process to create mathematically consistent boundaries between distinct postcode groups as a notional boundary set.

This product is updated quarterly in January, April, July and October.

Representation of Code-Point with Polygons data showing postcodes extents visualised against a background map.

Benefits

Visualise postcode extents

Codepoint with Polygons provides notional extents for every postcode unit in GB for easy visualisation and analysis at a national scale.

Vertical street polygons

Vertical street polygons allow easy identification of multiple postcodes within the same building.

Precise polygon data

Postcode polygons created using the addresses we can locate the most precisely creating high confidence in the accuracy of the polygon data.

Manage your risks better

Display postcode boundaries on a map, then add contours and your own claims data. This is a great way to identify low-lying postcodes, so you can quote for insurance at a price that reflects higher flood risks.

Use Cases

You can use the product to:

• Analyse geographically based information or statistics by postcode

• Display information that has been analysed or sorted by postcode

Summary

• Access: Download

• Data theme: Administrative and Statistical Units

• Data structure: Vector – Polygons

• Coverage: Great Britain

• Scale: 1:1 250 to 1:10 000

• Format: Shapefile, MapInfo MID / MIF, MapInfo TAB, vector tiles (MBTiles), GeoPackage (GPKG)

• Ordering area: All of Great Britain

• Publication months: January, April, July, October

• OS Data Hub plan: Public Sector Plan, Premium Plan, Energy & Infrastructure Plan

Additional Information

Code-Point accuracy and resolution

Code-Point is created by taking the average of the coordinates of all the individual addresses in a postcode (provided we have any of sufficient quality), then snapping to the nearest of those addresses. Code-Point then delivers the coordinates of that address, as representative of the whole postcode, to a resolution of 1metre.

The accuracy of a Code-Point Open record could be expressed as, that the coordinated position will always be within the notional geographical extent of the postcode. The accuracy of each postcode unit coordinate pair is defined by the positional quality indicator (PQI) which provides a quality statement of a Code-Point record.

How to get this product

Access to this product is free for PSGA (Public Sector Geospatial Agreement) Members. You can check if your organisation is a member of the PSGA on the OS website.

The Code-Point with Polygons product page on the OS website has advice on how to get the product for businesses, developers, Partners and PSGA Members (i.e. government and the public sector).

Alternatively, you can try out the full product by applying for a Data Exploration license.

Sample data

Download Code-Point with Polygons sample data

You can download sample data for the product for free from the OS Data Hub. The sample data are available in ESRI Shapefile, MIF and TAB formats and cover three areas (Exeter, Newport and Inverness).

Visualise Code-Point with Polygons sample data online

This product is available to try out free online using one of our three sets of sample data (Exeter, Newport and Inverness) through the OS MasterMap Product Viewer:

OS MasterMap Product Viewer

Interactive demonstrator of OS MasterMap Generation data

What's next?

To access documentation and resources relating to this product, please refer to the following:

Overview

The overview introduces Code-Point with Polygons, giving context for all users – highlighting key features, providing examples of uses, and listing details such as file sizes, supply formats, etc.

Getting Started Guide

The getting started guide provides instructions for using Code-Point with Polygons in different software applications. Users with limited technical knowledge will be able to follow this guide.

Technical Specification

The technical specification provides detailed technical information about Code-Point with Polygons. It is targeted at technical users and software developers.

New users should start with the Overview to gain high-level insight into the product. The Getting Started Guide will help you to begin using product data in different software systems. The Technical Specification contains detailed technical insights.