OS scheme leaves walkers off the map
The Ramblers has criticised the government for failing to include standard walkers’ maps as part of the Ordnance Survey mapping data made freely available on 1 April. The OS OpenData scheme, which includes the Street View 1:10,000 digital street atlas, means anyone can use or manipulate some OS maps on their websites without being charged. But despite lobbying by the Ramblers during the consultation last year, the free datasets don’t cover 1:25,000 Explorer and 1:50,000 Landranger maps – the only maps showing important information for walkers and the standard choice for navigating on foot in rural areas.
Des de Moor, Ramblers everyday walking officer, says: “While this is a step in the right direction, we’re very disappointed that the government apparently lost its nerve regarding releasing Landranger and Explorer maps. “We know that one of the reasons people don’t walk more is that they don’t know good places to walk, and access to mapping is essential in overcoming that barrier.”
