Most of us use location data every day without giving it a second thought. In fact, research shows that individuals touch Ordnance Survey (OS) data up to 42 times a day without realising, whether receiving deliveries and post, using mapping to get from A to B or using utilities at home which were installed using location data.
Perhaps more significantly, trusted and accurate location data helps public sector organisations do their jobs much more effectively. It helps emergency services reach the right address, support the planning of new housing developments, enable transport planning and facilitate the maintenance of vital utility infrastructure.
TfN - A comparison of driveways per Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOA) across Leeds. The LSOA with the highest number of driveways (Wetherby) and the lowest number of driveways (City Centre) are highlighted. © Crown copyright and database rights. Ordnance Survey 2026
However, its true value lies not just in telling us where something is, but in helping organisations generate insight which enables better and more confident decision-making. That is why trusted location data has become one of the public sector’s most powerful, yet often overlooked, assets.
The benefits of location data are already being felt across government. Local authorities use it on a daily basis – whether identifying suitable sites for housing developments or understanding how new communities will interact with existing infrastructure. Transport planners use it to improve networks and reduce congestion. Emergency responders depend on accurate mapping and address data to coordinate responses when lives are at risk.
Location intelligence is equally valuable in supporting vulnerable citizens. By connecting information to specific properties and places, public sector organisations can gain a more complete view of community needs and target services more effectively.
When organisations understand not just what is happening, but where it is happening, they can allocate resources more efficiently, reduce costs and improve outcomes for the people they serve.
Location also acts as the baseplate that allows disparate datasets to be connected, analysed and turned into trusted insight. OS helps enable better decisions, rather than making the decisions themselves.
DataMapWales is just one example of how OS data can connect a variety of other datasets to enable better insight and decisions. It is a Welsh Government data portal which brings together thousands of datasets in one place, backing decision-making across areas such as active travel, carbon planning and deprivation analysis. OS data provides the backbone to this portal and is key to the success and effectiveness of the platform.
DataMapWales - This map shows OS NGD Buildings data for Wales, fully accessible to the Welsh public sector. The mapping has been styled on the building age attribute (buildingage_period), to highlight the relative ages of buildings. Image taken from DataMapWales.
Through the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement (PSGA), over 6,500 public sector bodies and emergency services can access a comprehensive range of OS data and services, free to them at the point of delivery. This provides access to authoritative mapping, addressing and geographic information that can support a huge variety of use cases, such as emergency services and public safety; transport and infrastructure management; healthcare access and planning; sustainability and environmental initiatives; and climate adaptation and resilience.
Much of the data accessed comes from the OS National Geographic Database, which is the most detailed and data-rich digital map of GB created to date. It contains 600 million geographic features and is updated around 30,000 times a day capturing the changes happening across Great Britain.
Today, the OS digital map is more detailed than ever before delivering layers of information about the nation. In recent years enhancements include the addition of bus and cycle networks, streetlight and new data on buildings ranging from age, number of floors to information on roof types.
Another example of OS data delivering valuable insight is through a partnership with Transport for the North, creating a new tool to help local authorities in the north address the regional divide in EV infrastructure. The tool was developed using machine learning to identify which of the 6.4 million households in the region have driveways, or off-street parking access, and therefore the potential for access to chargers at home.
It’s not just above ground which OS helps map. OS also supports Government on the National Underground Asset Register (NUAR).
Managing the UK's underground infrastructure is a complex challenge. With more than four million kilometres of buried pipes and cables owned by over 600 organisations, those responsible for installing, maintaining and repairing essential services need accurate information to work safely and efficiently.
NUAR is designed to make it easier to access information about buried pipes and cables across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. A government digital service operated by OS, NUAR currently contains around 80% of known underground asset data.
This improved visibility supports better planning, early risk awareness, and safer decision-making. It also helps tackle a significant industry challenge, with around 60,000 accidental strikes on underground assets occurring every year, costing an estimated £2.4 billion and creating risks for workers, communities and infrastructure projects.
By bringing together data from asset owners and making it available through a secure digital service, NUAR helps organisations plan work more effectively, reduce accidental asset strikes and improve safety.
The initiative demonstrates the wider role that location data can play in connecting information across organisations, sectors and systems. When multiple datasets are linked through a common geographic framework, entirely new insights become possible.
The hidden power of location lies in its ability to create a shared understanding of the world around us. By harnessing OS’s trusted geospatial data through initiatives such as the PSGA and NUAR, public sector organisations can work together more effectively, make better decisions and deliver better outcomes for citizens. Few organisations globally have access to a national dataset of OS’s depth, currency and quality.
For more information about Ordnance Survey, visit What we do | About us | OS.