[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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