[Talk-GB] Talk-GB Digest, Vol 50, Issue 8
Mike Harris
mikh43 at googlemail.com
Tue Nov 9 12:50:15 GMT 2010
Hi
I do add footpath reference numbers routinely within my own area of
operations where (a) footpath signs sometimes - not often - carry the
numbers and (b) the Highway Authority publishes the numbers not only on
their interactive version of their definitive map but also as an Excel
spreadsheet (with paths identified by 10 digit grid references at each
end). I know that there has been discussion as to whether identifying
the path from an on-line map (which uses an OS base map) is a breach of
OS copyright (as they have refused so far to include public rights of
way in their 2010 data liberalisation - stress PUBLIC RIGHTS of way - so
making the liberalised maps still useless for walkers) but I cannot
believe that the spreadsheet is covered by an OS licence just because
the coordinates use the British national grid rather than latitude and
longitude - given that there is a mathematical conversion between the
two. The Highway Authority itself believes that information about PUBLIC
RIGHTS of way is free of any copyright constraints and is there for the
public's benefit (and published at their expense using taxpayers' funds)
and that both the interactive map and the spreadsheet can be freely use
(but not - of course - the underlying mapping).
In the IoW example cited by others, the fact that the numbers are almost
always on the signs (excellent practice) does not say who put the
numbers there nor how they obtained the numbers. In my area it is
usually the relevant Parish Councils who do the numbering - not the
Highway Authority - and who knows where they get the information (:-) :-) ).
If the OS is still in wrecking mode and there remain copyright concerns
for Nick's purposes (and well done Nick for your contributions to the
commonweal!) then use of lat-long references to either end might be the
let-out - as suggested by others. But bear in mind that a search on
highway=footway would perhaps miss most bridleways and byways that are
often also public rights of way.
The more general thought here is that I map footpaths etc. like everyone
else - i.e. by walking them with a hand-held GPS. For my own convenience
this is set up to display the OS grid reference (British National Grid)
and OS datum. The resulting GPX file is uploaded to OSM where it - of
course - appears with lat-long coordinates. Is this any different to
using a spreadsheet including OS grid references to identify paths (and
converting them manually or automatically to lat-long for OSM use)? ;-)
Mike
On 09/11/2010 12:00, talk-gb-request at openstreetmap.org wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
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> 1. Footpath reference numbers (Nick Whitelegg)
> 2. Re: Footpath reference numbers (Andy Street)
> 3. Re: Footpath reference numbers (David Groom)
> 4. Re: Footpath reference numbers (Richard Fairhurst)
> 5. Re: Footpath reference numbers (Jonathan Bennett)
> 6. Re: Footpath reference numbers (Emilie Laffray)
> 7. Re: Footpath reference numbers (Ed Avis)
>
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--
*/Mike Harris/*
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