[Talk-GB] prow_ref format for Dorset Public Rights of Way

Robert Whittaker (OSM lists) robert.whittaker+osm at gmail.com
Thu Apr 16 13:18:58 UTC 2020


I've recently been looking at increasing the coverage of my PRoW
comparison tool https://osm.mathmos.net/prow/progress/ by adding new
counties. In particular, I've been looking at the data from Dorset.
I've hit a small issue though, in that the council uses two different
formats for their Right of Way Numbers. We really need to just select
one for the county in order to be consistent in OSM.

One format has a parish code followed by a slash and then the route
number within the parish (e.g. "SE4/22" for path number 22 in
Affpuddle and Turnerspuddle parish). The other would be to use the
full parish name, right of way type, and number. I asked their
Definitive Map officer about this and got the response:

"Both systems are used in parallel. For mapping (where the status and
parish are obvious) and for internal use, we use the numbering system,
but when reporting to Committee members or members of the public who
will not be familiar with the numbering system, we name the parish and
describe the status. Our sealed statements are listed by named parish,
status and route number. Our working statement spreadsheet uses parish
number, status and route number."

The "SE4/22" style numbers are what are used on Dorset Council's own
online map at https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/countryside-coast-parks/rights-of-way/rights-of-way-map-where-to-walk-ride-or-cycle.aspx
. Currently in OSM we have about 394km of routes in Dorset using this
style in the prow_ref tag, and another 98km using this style with a
space instead of the slash. That a total of around 492km based on the
parish codes and numbers. Conversely, there's only around 125km of
routes in Dorset that have a prow_ref tag that includes a parish name.

Based on this, my preference would be to standardise on the "SE4/22"
style format for the prow_ref in Dorset, and convert any other
instances found to this. What does everyone else think? I'll invite
Nick Whitelegg (who developed the "map the paths" site) and also a few
mappers who've made significant contributions to Dorset PRoW's in OSM
to this thread to get their input too.

Best wishes,
Robert.

-- 
Robert Whittaker



More information about the Talk-GB mailing list