This address record follows the lifecycle of a Postcode Address File (PAF) record matched to a Local Authority record. As a matched record is inserted, deleted and updated within PAF, these changes are incorporated into the AddressBase product. Similarly, if the matched Local Authority address record updates an attribute contained within the AddressBase product, this change will be reflected.
The following sub-sections provide details about the attributes included with this feature, their data types in the different output formats, and other important metadata about them.
The following sub-sections provide details about the attributes included with the Address feature type.
Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN) assigned by the LLPG Custodian or Ordnance Survey.
Attribute Name: uprn (GML), UPRN (CSV)
Data Type: Integer (GML), Integer (CSV)
Multiplicity: [1]
Size: 12
Source: Contributing Local Authority / Ordnance Survey
Unique identifier provided by Ordnance Survey.
Attribute Name: osAddressTOID (GML), OS_ADDRESS_TOID (CSV)
Data Type: LocalisedCharacterString (GML), char (CSV)
Multiplicity: [0..1]
Size: 20
Source: Ordnance Survey
Royal Mail’s Unique Delivery Point Reference Number (UDPRN).
Attribute Name: udprn (GML), UDPRN (CSV)
Data Type: Integer (GML), Integer (CSV)
Multiplicity: [1]
Size: 8
Source: Royal Mail
The organisation name is the business name given to a delivery point within a building or small group of buildings. For example: TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE
This field could also include entries for churches, public houses and libraries.
Attribute Name: organisationName (GML), ORGANISATION_NAME (CSV)
Condition: Organisation Name or PO Box Number must be present if Building Name or Building Number are all not present.
Data Type: LocalisedCharacterString (GML), char (CSV)
Multiplicity: [0..1]
Size: 60
Source: Royal Mail
For some organisations, department name is indicated because mail is received by subdivisions of the main organisation at distinct delivery points. For example, Organisation Name: ABC COMMUNICATIONS or RM Department Name: MARKETING DEPARTMENT
Attribute Name: departmentName (GML), DEPARTMENT_NAME (CSV)
Condition: If a Department Name is present, an Organisation Name must also be present.
Data Type: LocalisedCharacterString (GML), char (CSV)
Multiplicity: [0..1]
Size: 60
Source: Royal Mail
Post Office Box (PO Box) number.
Attribute Name: poBoxNumber (GML), PO_BOX_NUMBER (CSV)
Condition: Organisation Name or PO Box Number must be present if Building Name or Building Number are all not present.
Data Type: CharacterString (GML), char (CSV)
Multiplicity: [0..1]
Size: 6
Source: Royal Mail
The sub-building name and/or number are identifiers for subdivisions of properties.
For example: Sub-building Name: FLAT 3, Building Name: POPLAR COURT, Thoroughfare: LONDON ROAD
If the above address is styled 3 POPLAR COURT, all the text will be shown in the Building Name attribute and the Sub-building Name will be empty. The building number will be shown in this field when it contains a range, decimal or non-numeric character (see Building Number).
Attribute Name: subBuildingName (GML), SUB_BUILDING_NAME (CSV)
Condition: If a Sub Building Name is present, a Building Name or Building Number must also be present.
Data Type: LocalisedCharacterString (GML), char (CSV)
Multiplicity: [0..1]
Size: 30
Source: Royal Mail
The building name is a description applied to a single building or a small group of buildings, such as Highfield House. This also includes those building numbers that contain non-numeric characters, such as 44A.
Some descriptive names, when included with the rest of the address, are sufficient to identify the property uniquely and unambiguously, for example, MAGISTRATES COURT.
Sometimes the building name will be a blend of distinctive and descriptive naming, for example, RAILWAY TAVERN (PUBLIC HOUSE) or THE COURT ROYAL (HOTEL).
Attribute Name: buildingName (GML), BUILDING_NAME (CSV)
Condition: Building Name must be present if Organisation Name or Building Number or PO Box Number are all not present.
Data Type: LocalisedCharacterString (GML), char (CSV)
Multiplicity: [0..1]
Size: 50
Source: Royal Mail
The building number is a number given to a single building or a small group of buildings, thus identifying it from its neighbours, for example, 44. Building numbers that contain a range, decimals or non-numeric characters do not appear in this field but will be found in the buildingName or the sub-BuildingName fields.
Attribute Name: buildingNumber (GML), BUILDING_NUMBER (CSV)
Condition: Building Number must be present if Organisation Name or Building Name or PO Box Number are all not present.
Data Type: Integer (GML), Integer (CSV)
Multiplicity: [0..1]
Size: 4
Source: Royal Mail
A thoroughfare in AddressBase is fundamentally a road, track or named access route on which there are Royal Mail delivery points, for example, HIGH STREET.
Attribute Name: thoroughfare (GML), THOROUGHFARE (CSV)
Data Type: LocalisedCharacterString (GML), char (CSV)
Multiplicity: [0..1]
Size: 80
Source: Royal Mail
The town or city in which the Royal Mail sorting office is located which services this record. There may be more than one, possibly several, sorting offices in a town or city.
Attribute Name: postTown (GML), POST_TOWN (CSV)
Data Type: LocalisedCharacterString (GML), char (CSV)
Multiplicity: [1]
Size: 30
Source: Royal Mail
This is used to distinguish between similar thoroughfares or the same thoroughfare within a dependent locality. For example, Millbrook Industrial Estate and Cranford Estate in this situation: BRUNEL WAY, MILLBROOK INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, MILLBROOK, SOUTHAMPTON and BRUNEL WAY, CRANFORD ESTATE, MILLBROOK, SOUTHAMPTON.
Attribute Name: doubleDependentLocality (GML), DOUBLE_DEPENDENT_LOCALITY (CSV)
Data Type: LocalisedCharacterString (GML), char (CSV)
Condition: If a Double Dependent Locality is present, a Dependent Locality must also be present.
Multiplicity: [0..1]
Size: 35
Source: Royal Mail
Dependent locality areas define an area within a post town. These are only necessary for postal purposes and are used to aid differentiation where there are thoroughfares of the same name in the same locality. For example, HIGH STREET in SHIRLEY and SWAYTHLING in this situation: HIGH STREET, SHIRLEY, SOUTHAMPTON and HIGH STREET, SWAYTHLING, SOUTHAMPTON.
Attribute Name: dependentLocality (GML), DEPENDENT_LOCALITY (CSV)
Data Type: LocalisedCharacterString (GML), char (CSV)
Multiplicity: [0..1]
Size: 35
Source: Royal Mail
A postcode is an abbreviated form of address made up of combinations of between five and seven alphanumeric characters. These are used by Royal Mail to help with the automated sorting of mail. A postcode may cover between 1 and 100 addresses.
There are two main components of a postcode, for example, NW6 4DP:
The outward code (or ‘outcode’). The first two–four characters of the postcode constituting the postcode area and the postcode district, for example, NW6. It is the part of the postcode that enables mail to be sent from the accepting office to the correct area for delivery.
The inward code (or ‘incode’). The last three characters of the postcode constituting the postcode sector and the postcode unit, example, 4DP. It is used to sort mail at the local delivery office.
Attribute Name: postcode (GML), POSTCODE (CSV)
Data Type: CharacterString (GML), char (CSV)
Multiplicity: [1]
Size: 8
Source: Royal Mail
Describes the address as a small or large user as defined by Royal Mail.
Attribute Name: postcodeType (GML), POSTCODE_TYPE (CSV)
Code List Name: PostcodeTypeCode
Condition: If PO Box number is present Postcode Type must be ‘L’.
Multiplicity: [1]
Size: 1
Source: Royal Mail
A value in metres defining the x and y location in accordance with the British National Grid.
Attribute Name: position (GML), X_COORDINATE, Y_COORDINATE (CSV)
Data Type: GM_Point (GML), Float (CSV)
Multiplicity: [1]
Size: X_COORDINATE (precision, scale) – (8, 2), Y_COORDINATE (precision, scale) – (9, 2)
Source: Contributing Local Authority/Ordnance Survey
A value defining the Longitude and Latitude location in accordance with the ETRS89 coordinate reference system.
Attribute Name: positionLatLong (GML), LATITUDE, LONGITUDE (CSV)
Data Type: GM_Point (GML), Float (CSV)
Multiplicity: [1]
Size: LATITUDE (precision, scale) – (9, 7), LONGITUDE (precision, scale) – (8, 7)
Source: Ordnance Survey
Representative Point Code. This code is used to reflect positional accuracy.
Attribute Name: rpc (GML), RPC (CSV)
Code List Name: RPCCode
Multiplicity: [1]
Size: 1
Source: Contributing Local Authority
The country in which a record can be found.
Attribute Name: country (GML), COUNTRY (CSV)
Code List Name: CountryCode
Multiplicity: [1]
Size: 1
Type of Record Change – please see Section 4 for more information.
Attribute Name: changeType (GML), CHANGE_TYPE (CSV)
Code List Name: ChangeTypeCode
Multiplicity: [1]
Size: 1
The date on which the address record was inserted into the database in the CCYY-MM-DD format.
Attribute Name: laStartDate (GML), LA_START_DATE (CSV)
Data Type: Date (GML), Date (CSV)
Multiplicity: [1]
Source: Contributing Local Authority
Date on which the Royal Mail address was loaded into the NAG (National Address Gazetteer in the CCYY-MM-DD format – as maintained by Geoplace) hub.
Attribute Name: rmStartDate (GML), RM_START_DATE (CSV)
Data Type: Date (GML), Date (CSV)
Multiplicity: [1]
Source: Royal Mail
The date on which any of the attributes on this record were last changed in the CCYY-MM-DD format.
Attribute Name: lastUpdateDate (GML), LAST_UPDATE_DATE (CSV)
Data Type: Date (GML), Date (CSV)
Multiplicity: [1]
Primary classification of the address record. For example, identifying the record as commercial (value of ‘C’) or residential (value of ‘R’).
Attribute Name: class (GML), CLASS (CSV)
Data Type: CharacterString (GML), char (CSV)
Multiplicity: [1]
Size: 1
Source: Contributing Local Authority