Roundtable sessions

The Best Kept Secret – Promoting the strategic value of street and address to leadership

Facilitator: Mark Williams, Senior Data Adviser, Local Government Association  

POLICY AND PERFORMANCE

The Local Government Association and GeoPlace are working together to raise awareness of the value custodians have and the data they hold. This 15-minute roundtable will explore a draft guide designed for senior managers and leadership teams, focused on promoting the wider value of street and address data across local government systems. Participants will have the opportunity to review the initial draft and provide input to ensure the guide is aligned with the priorities, language, and decision-making context of senior leaders. 

Toward a data standard for vacant shops: a (funded!) path to smarter high street action

Facilitator: Craig Campbell, Programme Manager, High Streets Data Service, Greater London Authority

POLICY AND PERFORMANCE

With High Street Rental Auction powers now live and MHCLG funding available to support the development of Vacancy Registers, this roundtable explores what it would take to create a consistent, fundable, and actionable dataset on vacant shopfronts. We’ll look at how London boroughs are already using shared vacancy data through the High Streets Data Service, and explore how wider datasets—especially those linked via UPRNs—could help shape a national standard. The goal: take the guesswork out of landlord engagement, unlock investment, and bring life back to high streets. 

Children's place-based data

Facilitator: Gordon Hectar, Director, Upstream 

POLICY AND PERFORMANCE

There is growing interest in engaging children and young people directly in local services and government. Their digital footprint creates new opportunities to understand and engage with young people. But there are complex questions about what kind of digital tools are appropriate, about the quality of some data on young people, and the handling of sensitive information. This session would explore some recent thinking and understanding participant's views on how place, children and data should interact.  

Public Sector Digital Trends

Facilitator: Diana Rebaza, Research Analyst, Socitm

POLICY AND PERFORMANCE

Discover the top digital and technology trends driving local public services change, innovation and reform in the face of a ‘perfect storm’ of environmental, economic and social pressures.  Find out how harnessing data improves public services

UPRNs: The Key to cross-government data integrity

Facilitator: Tianna Barefoot, Product Manager and Owen Kew, Geospatial Analyst,Ordnance Survey

POLICY AND PERFORMANCE

UPRNs facilitate data linking and analysis across different systems and organisations. This interoperability is crucial for complex analyses and for ensuring that data can be reliably shared and used by various public sector bodies. Awareness and adoption of the UPRN can aid in developing the digital competency and maturity of public sector information sharing abilities. The round table will explore:

•    The current challenges that public sector bodies encounter when sharing and discovering data (not exclusively geospatial)
• Government data standards, their implementation, and ways they can be improved  
• How organisations and departments are already harnessing the UPRN and OSIDs to break down data silos
• Opportunities for OS and GeoPlace to facilitate data sharing and promote the use of UPRNs as the unique identifier used to traverse across datasets containing property and/or street information. 

Putting the foundations in place – adopting a UPRN policy

Facilitator: Hannah Brooks, Local Authority Liaison Manager: Address, GeoPlace 

POLICY AND PERFORMANCE

•    How can a UPRN policy ensure that your authority makes the most effective use of its data?  
• Are you looking to implement a new/updated policy, and if so how can we help?  
• If you don’t have one in place, what works for you in ensuring service areas integrate their data and share change intelligence? 

How can we better engage with other departments to unleash benefits of data?

Facilitator: Gary Rivington, Data Integration Officer, GeoPlace

POLICY AND PERFORMANCE

The round table discussion and outputs will explore experiences with engaging with other departments, to gain benefits from integrating via the UPRN and USRN (and including them in their systems and processes). This can include change intelligence (sharing with other depts/software) and procurement of systems to enable this. 

Understanding and overcoming barriers to integration

Facilitator: Luke Studden, Data Integration Lead, GeoPlace  

POLICY AND PERFORMANCE

Integrating address and street data can be extremely challenging, so let us help you! I am keen to hear from you directly about your integration woes, the barriers you face and the issues that keep cropping up. What would you like GeoPlace to help you with and how? Let’s have a chat about what we can do to support you and your integration journey. We have also developed a wide range of integration support tools and guides so I will signpost these where relevant – they may be exactly what you need! 

Devolution – what impacts for the disaggregation and merging of local authorities?

Facilitator: Dave Matthews, GIS Data Manager, Cheshire East Council 

LOCAL GOVERNMENT REORGANISATION

Dave will lead a discussion looking at issues such as:

•    How do you determine, without prejudice, which streets and addressing software to use for the new authority?  
• If dealing with a change of software, what technical problems may arise, such as uploading problems, authority codes etc.
• How do I merge data from different authorities?  
• How do I break streets and addressing data up? 

Devolution – what impacts for the disaggregation and merging of local authorities?

Facilitator: Clare Welford, GIS Manager, BCP Council

LOCAL GOVERNMENT REORGANISATION

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council came together as a unitary authority in 2019. We are still working on combining a variety of datasets and, from a GIS perspective, have worked with the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

Our key lessons learnt have been:

•  How good is the data? Understand the Quality of the Data on Day One
• Are the right people around the table?
• Does everybody use the same terminology?
• Has everybody agreed on how the data will be processed going forwards?

Away from Addressing Solutions data, we have been flying the flag on the importance of UPRNs and USRNs. If there is the opportunity to improve this data when bringing areas together, it is that step closer to being able to provide a Single View of the Citizen

Devolution – what impacts for the disaggregation and merging of local authorities?

Facilitator: Westmorland & Furness Council

LOCAL GOVERNMENT REORGANISATION

Details to be confirmed.

Streetworks and active travel in the LSG

Facilitator: Sophie Garratt, Network Permit Officer, BCP Council  

USING STREET DATA

•    How can the LSG be best used to facilitate streetworks and minimise network impacts?
• With the increase in Active Travel focus, where does this fit within the LSG?
• How is the information in the LSG utilised by streetworks promoters and what additions would be useful? 

Street DEC review

Facilitator: Martin Laker, GIS Manager, Bath & North East Somerset Council

USING STREET DATA

BS7666 - Reviewing the Standards

Facilitator: Jonathan Bates, National Street Data Manager, GeoPlace

USING STREET DATA

GeoPlace represent local authorities in England and Wales on the BSI (British Standards Institution) Group ‘IST/36 - Geographic Information’ which is responsible BS7666 (the standard that our work on Gazetteers follows).  

This roundtable will give a brief overview about the process for reviewing these standards and give participants the opportunity to discuss any changes that they would like to see made and propose how GeoPlace can best engage with the community on all things BS7666. 

Street Data Quality and Enrichment: integrating PRoWs

Facilitator: Iris Rodenbuesch, Senior GIS Analyst, GeoPlace

USING STREET DATA

The PRoW network is currently not fully integrated in the NSG and data sources and formats vary. Is there a need to integrate them into the NSG to create a more consistent and standardised PRoW network? And how could this be achieved? 
What is your prow situation? Are they integrated in the LSG? 

• If yes, what was your integration process? If not, is there a specific reason? How could we help?
• What data formats are they held in? Do they need to be digitised?
• How could they be linked to an existing ESU/USRN? Will they need to be spatially matched?
• What overall benefits do you see in integrating prow data?
   

NSG for the future

Facilitator: Simon Bailey, Senior Partnerships Lead, GeoPlace

USING STREET DATA

The NSG and USRNs already used widely, but more and more they are being used to underpin the modernisation of services and new initiatives. Come and talk to me about what I am looking at, and give me your ideas about what you think the NSG (and USRNs) can support in the future.

Master DataVia API Integration!

Facilitator: Tamsin Fulton, Business Development Manager, GeoPlace

USING STREET DATA

Dive into the world of APIs with our focused discussion on integrating DataVia API. Learn about endpoints, data formats, authentication methods, and security measures. Participate in a hands-on activity to create innovative applications using the API.  

This session is designed to boost your API skills and foster collaboration. Be part of the conversation and drive innovation forward!

Is FindMyStreet working for you?

Facilitator: Hazel Kamuriwo, Associate Product Manager, GeoPlace

USING STREET DATA

In just 15 minutes, help shape the future of FindMyStreet – one sticky note at a time! 
This fast, friendly session is all about quick-fire feedback: what’s working, what’s not, and what’s missing. No slides, no jargon – just sticky notes, real talk, and fresh ideas about how you use the service and what you’d love to see next. No prep needed, just bring your honest thoughts.  

Come along and stick up your thoughts, it’s your shortcut to making FindMyStreet smarter, faster, and more useful for everyone! 

How the data contained within the NSG is essential to help works promoters when planning works

Facilitator: Phil Cameron, JAG(UK) Community Manager and Annabel Bennett, HAUC(UK) Community Support Assistant

USING STREET DATA

Imagine you are a works promoter, planning a job, you haven’t physically been to the site and you don’t know the area. How does data contained within the NSG help you? You look at the traffic sensitivity? You look at the special designations? Is there anything missing that could help you? This roundtable will help explain to custodians how the work you do, and the influence you have, can have help get the best planned jobs to minimise the disruption of street works and road works.

Our Road To Net Zero – how can street data support more sustainable street and road works?

Facilitator: Alison Williams, Stakeholder Manager, HAUC(UK)

USING STREET DATA

The highways and utilities sectors must develop comprehensive strategies and innovative solutions to significantly reduce carbon emissions and achieve sustainability goals. This session will explore the part which street data could play in reducing the carbon emissions related to street and road works, and the role of the NSG.

Mobilising the workforce – considerations for future adoption of NUAR

Facilitator: Marisa Hayes, Senior Account Manager – NUAR  

USING STREET DATA

• How workers access work packs?
• How is feedback provided and monitored from the site?
• How can this help inform the NSG?

Exploring the potential benefits of using underground asset data together with the local gazetteers NUAR/USRN integration

Facilitator: Richard Duffield, NUAR Discovery Project Lead, Government Digital Service 

USING STREET DATA

Government Digital Service is exploring the potential future value of widening secure access to the National Underground Asset Register (NUAR) - a national digital map of underground pipes and cables in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This 15-minute roundtable will explore key use cases which can use NUAR data and local gazetteer data together to benefit the public sector, citizens and the economy. Participants will have the opportunity to suggest high value use cases and discuss the benefits and challenges of integration. As part of the ongoing discovery project this feedback will influence the future direction of NUAR. 

A Streets focus: Helping to shape the future of GeoPlace support and training

Facilitator: Rachel Goodyear, Support Specialist, GeoPlace

USING STREET DATA

An opportunity to feedback to the GeoPlace Helpdesk ways in which they can improve their support, guidance and services, and ideas for any training you would like to see available.

Improving public self-service by using GIS and AI  

Facilitator: Chris Mewse, Director, Geoxphere

USING ADDRESS DATA

Improving public self-service by using GIS and AI through tools like Hub, which leverage UPRN-linked data to deliver geographically tailored information and responses.

•    What information do you hold that could be presented nicely to public to help with self-service?  
• What could be tied to a UPRN to create new themes of information delivery?  
• What could we feed into an AI chatbot to help residents to solve their problems?

Unlocking the OS National Geographic Database with UPRNs

Facilitator: Andy Wilson, PSGA Futures Lead and Ellie Harley, Associate Product Manager, Ordnance Survey

USING ADDRESS DATA

Come and explore:

•  The current challenges faced by custodians in accessing and adopting OS NGD
• Success stories and case studies showcasing how local authorities have used OS NGD
• Opportunities for OS and GeoPlace to provide support and guidance to custodians in their mission to maximize the value of geospatial data. 

An address focus: Helping to shape the future of GeoPlace support and training

Facilitator: Stella Loftus, Head of Support, GeoPlace

USING ADDRESS DATA

An opportunity to feedback to the GeoPlace Helpdesk ways in which they can improve their support, guidance and services, and ideas for any training you would like to see available.

Improvement Schedule process

Facilitator: Kerry Pearce, National Address Data Manager, GeoPlace

USING ADDRESS DATA

• How do you find the process of introducing changes to the Improvement Schedule? How can it be improved?
• How is the consultation process for LAs? What information do you need to see in order to make a decision?

• Are there any particular improvements you would like to focus on next year?

   

Accurate addressing: navigating the challenges of a changing landscape

Facilitator: Josh Gooch, Senior Spatial Data Analyst, GeoPlace

USING ADDRESS DATA

In today’s rapidly changing world, maintaining high quality address data can be challenging. New developments, changes within the built environment and raising standards all add layers of complexity. From ensuring precise positional accuracy to staying on top of property lifecycle and keeping up with organisation changes staying ahead is not straight forward.
What aspects of managing address data do you find the challenging? What additional support do you think GeoPlace can offer to help overcome these challenges?

Taking advantage of linked data

Facilitator: Jon Saunders, Head of Data Insights, GeoPlace

USING ADDRESS DATA

Linking the UPRN and USRN to different systems and datasets has often been a way of ensuring the gazetteer isn’t missing a property or street.  In an ever-changing world, the importance of data linking is growing, and it would be great to hear from participants as to how GeoPlace can assist them with data linking and the datasets that can help keep their gazetteers as up to date as possible.
 

From avenues to accuracy: Why SNN matters more than you think

Facilitator: Claire Russell, Senior Consultant & Product Manager, Idox Group

STREET NAMING AND NUMBERING

With 1.5 million new homes on the horizon by 2029, smart street naming and numbering has never been more crucial. Join our roundtable to help shape Idox’s next-gen SNN tool—built for your needs, and the future.

Using historical place-names to inform modern street naming

Facilitator: John Baker & Jayne Carrol, English Placenames Society

STREET NAMING AND NUMBERING

Historical place-names typically arose as descriptive labels created in everyday speech. As such, they are a rich source of local language and earlier perceptions of the landscape. They shed light on the distinctive character of a place and its people. The Institute for Name-Studies at the University of Nottingham is currently carrying out a pilot project with GeoPlace LLP and various local authorities across the country. The project explores the ways in which historical place-names can be used today in modern street naming. This round table session will discuss the benefits and challenges of using this evidence, as well as how to go about it. 

Shaping the future of SNN: magic wand thinking for year 2 and beyond 

Facilitator: Holly Westwood, Local Authority Liaison Manager: Change Intelligence Lead, GeoPlace

STREET NAMING AND NUMBERING
To gather bold, honest ideas from the SNN community about what changes—big or small—they believe would most improve the SNN landscape. This discussion will directly inform the ongoing work of the SNN Working Group as we reflect on Year 1 of the 5-year SNN Working Group strategy and look ahead to year 2.