UK Users Group

Anyone on the Public Sector Mapping Agreement that has signed up to the new APGB data? Aerial Photography and DSM/DTM data freely available form the BlueSky and Get Mapping consortium. What formats? What is the coverage like? Can you share any insights?

Hi John,

I returned from holiday to find that we'd automatically been signed up for the APGB! Seemed like it was all done in rather a hurry?! I didn't even know that this was coming about, so I've either not read anything about it or I've just completely forgotten! I've not yet 'signed' the agreement as I had a number of questions to ask, and I'm afraid the answers I got back were'nt quite as indepth or explanatory as I'd hoped.

From what I've seen via the APGB website ( https://www.apgb.co.uk/ ), the 12.5cm resolution Aerial Photography has some gaps across the country, whereas the 25cm resolution looks to be a full UK coverage? Both datasets available in TIFF, ECW and JPG georectified images.

Also available is the 2m DSM (Digital Surface Model) and 5m DTM (Digital Terrain Model) datasets but I've not looked too closely at those yet.

Apparently we'll be licenced to use the 25cm Aerial, DSM and DTM datasets until 2020, but it's unclear what will happen after that, but it seems we'll be fine to continue using them? We'll need to contact the consortium if we want to use the 12.5cm Aerial after 2020.

I'm still dubious about the word 'free' as we all know, you rarely get anything for free without some kind of string attached, or maybe I'm just too cynical?. I'm still quite surprised about it all, as, as we all know, Aerial photography isn't cheap is it?! From what I gather, the aerial photography that we can download is from 2014/2015 which we currently hold anyway, so I'm holding off signing up until I've answered all of my questions.

?I don't think you are "automatically" signed-up Matt. I think you have to register. I have spoken to someone at BEIS today and they are planning on providing more information on the website for everyone publicly - rather than on the other side of the login page.

The 2020 date is when the new PSMA will be signed. This may or may not be in the new agreement. But I believe the aerial photography is a perpetual licence (it just goes out of date). BEIS have funded this, so it is "free" at your end of the pipe..

?Hi John,

You can browse what's available without a login here:

https://apgb.blueskymapshop.com/

The 25cm and height products have a perpetual licence. The 12.5cm is licenced until the end of the agreement (March 2020?) and then must be purchased for continued use (unless a new agreement supersedes).

Cheers,

Tom

Thanks Tom - I don't think that was there last week...

John, I meant that BEIS had automatically sent our details across to the APGB Consortium along with our PSMA licence number; I'm aware that I have to sign the agreement in order to complete the registration, so strictly speaking, we're not automatically signed up.

I've gleaned some detail from the APGB website, but I'm hanging fire until I've got answers to all of my questions 👍