7 July 2004
Ordnance Survey maps Parliamentary Boundaries on the web
Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland has designed and implemented a new boundaries Geographical Information System (GIS), using cutting edge technology, to support the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland in their 5th Periodical Review of Parliamentary Constituencies.
The new system provides a virtually instantaneous view of multiple combinations of the 582 electoral wards which exist in Northern Ireland, and calculates the electorates of revised parliamentary constituencies. This has dramatically speeded up the preparation of the Boundary Commission's provisional recommendations which proposed that Northern Ireland should be divided into 18 constituencies and recommended significant changes to boundaries.
The system of digital mapping has also enabled the publication of the recommendations on an interactive CD Rom and introduced an address searchable website facility. These represent groundbreaking advances for the Boundary Commission in Northern Ireland with other Commissions in the United Kingdom now showing an interest in applying the same developed technology.
The inclusion of Pointer, the Northern Ireland definitive address database, now available on the Commission's website www.boundarycommission.org.uk enables users to enter an address to view the effect of the Commission's proposals as well as Local Government District, district electoral area and ward boundaries.
The Secretary to the Commission, Mr John Fisher said, "The GIS provides a recognised and reliable database, on line access to plotting maps and the consideration of a much wider range of proposals more quickly, cost effectively and efficiently than previously possible. Moreover, the use of CD Rom along with the web application has enabled the Commission to make available their Provisional Recommendations rapidly and interactively, and to inform a greater number of the electorate than paper mapping has ever achieved in the past. The Commission are pleased to acknowledge the close and professional support of those at Ordnance Survey who have developed and applied the software and the contribution made by the Geographical Information System."
Commenting, Mick Cory, Chief Executive of Ordnance Survey said, "Our work with the Commission shows Ordnance Survey's commitment to developing GIS for Northern Ireland, and demonstrates clearly the potential for realising its wider application in government and in informing the public. We are pleased to have helped the Commission take a lead in their work in exploring and presenting alternative schemes and in keeping the public informed of their proposals."
Ends
Media contacts:
OSNI:
Crawford S McIlveen, Boundary Commission Manager, T: (028) 9025 5777,
Email: Crawford.mcilveen@osni.gov.uk, www.osni.gov.uk
Parliamentary Boundary Commission:
Email: bcni@belfast.org.uk, www.boundarycommission.org.uk
Notes to Editor
- The Boundary Commission are one of four Commissions in the United Kingdom which keep under continuous review the number, names and boundaries of parliamentary constituencies and make recommendations to the Secretary of State. The Chairman of the Commission is the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Right Hon Michael Martin MP.
- Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland (OSNI), an Agency within the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, is the official Government organisation responsible for supplying mapping information for Northern Ireland and for co-coordinating the implementation of a Geographic Information Strategy for Northern Ireland, which includes the development and on-going maintenance of Pointer - the definitive address database for Northern Ireland.
OSNI provides maps in paper and digital form, as well as aerial imagery, geographically referenced address, boundary, road and other mapping related data, underpinning the management and administration of the economy and society. - The Commission's recommendations must avoid excessive disparities between the constituency and the electoral quota calculated by reference to the number of constituencies and parliamentary electors.
- The Boundary Commission published their Provisional Recommendations on 29 April 2004 proposing that Northern Ireland should continue to be divided into 18 constituencies and recommended significant changes to boundaries. The recommendations maintain the integrity of all 582 wards in Northern Ireland. The Commission are currently considering representations submitted to them.
- The software used in the Geographical Information System has been developed by Sysdeco of PO Box 433, No-3604 Kongsberg, Norway. Its' application was made possible by a team of professional staff at Ordnance Survey headed by Mr Crawford McIlveen, Boundary Commission Manager.
