Kent Connects Gazetteer Will Join Up Whole of Kent

Once up and running, the central database will enable the sixteen Kent Connects partners to access address data for the whole of England and Wales rather than just their ‘patch’.

The Gazetteer contains more than 30 million residential, business and non-mailing addresses, showing land and property classification.  It is a vital reference point for planners, architects and designers producing plans and maps.  It is also the basis for call centre systems, enabling operators to check callers’ address details.  Other uses include verification of benefit claimants’ and job applicants’ details, and compilation of mailing lists.

Kent Connects partners include all the Kent and Medway Councils, Kent Police and the Kent Fire and Rescue Service.  Alan Lloyd, GIS Manager, Kent County Council, is leading the project for Kent Connects and says ‘Every authority and agency will be able to access the national Gazetteer via the web.  Each will have access to each others’ data, streamlining information exchange and cutting down on administration.  It’s the first attempt to join up the Gazetteer in the country and is being supported by Intelligent Addressing, custodians of the NLPG, as well as the national Improvement and Development Agency for local government (IDeA).  Progress will be watched closely by public sector bodies elsewhere.’ 

Debbie Wisdom, Kent Connects’ Strategic Director, explains the initiative is one of a number that the Partnership is driving: ‘Kent Connects’ role is to remove the barriers that hinder public sector organisations from joining up and sharing their services.  We have already tackled a number of practical projects, improving authorities’ deployment of technology behind the scenes.  The NLPG project has the potential to make a positive, day to day, impact on how people can use the NLPG service, not only in Kent but the rest of the Country.’

Issued: 20 August 2007