Coverage in United Kingdom
Full coverage of all four nations: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with the relevant devolved bodies integrated (Natural England, NatureScot, Natural Resources Wales and NIEA/DAERA for the environment; Historic England, HES, Cadw and NIEA for heritage). The viewer brings together Ordnance Survey, ONS Open Geography, the Defra Data Services Platform, Environment Agency, National Grid, NSTA, British Geological Survey, Coal Authority and DESNZ in a single map, with professional overlay, search and export tools.
Sectors and use cases
Renewables (solar · onshore/offshore wind · BESS)
Overlay with REPD, National Grid/NESO/DNO grid capacity, wind and solar atlases, Crown Estate offshore areas and environmental constraints.
Land due diligence
Rapid screening of land portfolios: flood zones, protected areas, heritage assets and Green Belt before options are agreed.
Planning
Flood Map for Planning, Green Belt, Conservation Areas, Listed Buildings, Scheduled Monuments and Ancient Woodland as material considerations under the NPPF.
Environmental consultancy
SAC, SPA, Ramsar, SSSI, Priority Habitats, Nutrient Neutrality and Biodiversity Net Gain (LNRS) for EIA and Habitats Regulations Assessment.
Infrastructure and engineering
OS roads, Network Rail, SRN, HS2, NaPTAN, the electricity network and aeronautical safeguarding (ATZ · restricted airspace).
Property development
OS built-up areas, Green Belt, contaminated land, Coal Mining Risk Areas and multiple deprivation (IMD).
Agriculture and land
Agricultural Land Classification (Best and Most Versatile), Countryside Stewardship, Organic Farming and Nitrate Sensitive Areas.
Offshore energy and hydrocarbons
NSTA UKCS (licences, fields, wells, pipelines, CCS), ScotWind/INTOG, Crown Estate and Marine Protected Areas.
Catalogue of modules
Each module syncs with its official source and shows the date of its latest publication. Organised into 6 standard categories (Cadastre · Planning · Territorial · Infrastructure · Environment · Hydrography).
Administrative boundaries and land
- •ONS Open Geography — 4 nations + 9 regions + 361 Local Authority Districts + 11,337 parishes
- •OS Open Built-Up Areas — built-up areas across GB (Ordnance Survey)
- •Travel-to-Work Areas (TTWA) — functional labour markets
- •Multiple deprivation across all 4 nations (IMD/SIMD/WIMD/NIMDM) by decile
Planning and public access
- •Green Belt England — 16 green belts (NPPF restriction)
- •Public access under the CRoW Act 2000 — National Trails, open country, common land
- •England Coast Path — National Trail ~4,500 km + margin
- •CRoW Section 15/16 — voluntary and dedicated access
- •Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas as material considerations
Land, agriculture and renewables
- •Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) — Best and Most Versatile (Grade 1, 2, 3a)
- •Countryside Stewardship / ESS / HLS / SFI — agri-environment parcels under agreement
- •Organic Farming Scheme and Nitrate Sensitive Areas
- •REPD (DESNZ) — 14,278 renewable energy projects with planning status
- •100m wind atlas and solar atlas (PVOUT) — Global Wind/Solar Atlas
Infrastructure and energy
- •OS Open Roads + SRN Strategic Road Network + HS2 + WebTRIS traffic counts
- •Network Rail — GB tracks and nodes + NaPTAN public transport + EV charging
- •National Grid transmission network (E+W) — substations, lines, pylons, gas
- •NESO Grid Supply Points + DNO areas + Northern Powergrid / SSEN networks
- •Nuclear, HAR1/HAR2 hydrogen, CCUS clusters and HVDC interconnectors
- •NSTA UKCS — licences, fields, wells, pipelines and offshore CCS
- •MOD military estate + restricted airspace (D/R/P/MATZ) + civil ATZs + airports
Environment and heritage
- •SAC, SPA, Ramsar, SSSI, National Parks, AONB, NNR/LNR (UK-wide · all 4 nations)
- •Ancient Woodland Inventory — irreplaceable habitat (NPPF blocking constraint)
- •Priority Habitats, LNRS (Biodiversity Net Gain), peat and Woodland Carbon Code
- •Listed Buildings — 379,672 (Historic England) + HES + Cadw + NIEA
- •Scheduled Monuments, Registered Parks & Gardens, battlefields and World Heritage Sites
- •AQMA and CSF — air quality (NO2/PM10 + agricultural NH3)
Hydrography, flood risk and water
- •EA Flood Map for Planning (Flood Zone 3) + Flood Storage Areas
- •RoFRS (river/sea flood risk) + RoFSW (surface water flood risk) + defences and reservoirs
- •Flood risk in Wales (TAN15 · NRW) and Scotland (SEPA)
- •Source Protection Zones, Nutrient Neutrality and Main River (EA)
- •Chalk Rivers, Priority River Habitat and WFD status (rivers, lakes, coastal, groundwater)
- •Contaminated land, historic landfill sites and permitted waste sites (EA)
Official data sources
Ordnance Survey (OS)
OS Open Roads, OS Open Rivers, OS Open Greenspace and built-up areas. Licensed under OGL v3.
ONS Open Geography
UK-wide administrative boundaries: 4 nations, 9 regions, 361 Local Authority Districts, 11,337 parishes and TTWAs.
Environment Agency (EA)
Flood Map for Planning (FZ3), RoFRS, RoFSW, flood defences, Source Protection Zones, Main River and WFD status.
Natural England / Defra DSP
SAC, SPA, Ramsar, SSSI, National Parks, AONB, NNR/LNR, Ancient Woodland, Nutrient Neutrality, ALC and Priority Habitats.
NatureScot · NRW · NIEA/DAERA
Devolved protected-area designations for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (SAC, SPA, SSSI/ASSI, NNR, AONB, priority peatland).
Historic England · HES · Cadw · NIEA
Listed Buildings, Scheduled Monuments, Conservation Areas, Registered Parks & Gardens, battlefields and World Heritage Sites.
National Grid · NESO · DNOs
Transmission network (E+W), Grid Supply Points, DNO areas, headroom and distribution substations.
DESNZ · NSTA · Crown Estate
REPD (renewables in planning), offshore hydrocarbons and CCS (UKCS), offshore wind Rounds 1-6, ScotWind and INTOG.
British Geological Survey (BGS)
1:625k geology (bedrock + superficial), aquifer designations and the National Landslide Database.
Coal Authority
Coal Mining Risk Areas (high/low risk), coal licences and mandatory consultation zones.
Blocking constraints detected
Overlay the project boundary with local critical layers to rule out unviable candidates before investing time in environmental assessment, grid connection or acquisition.
Flood Zone 3 (EA Flood Map for Planning)
The NPPF baseline is "do not develop"; it affects financing and insurance. RoFRS/RoFSW provide additional screening.
Ancient Woodland and Veteran Trees
A blocking constraint unless "wholly exceptional reasons" apply under the NPPF; affects ASNW, PAWS and wood pasture.
Scheduled Monuments
Any impact requires Scheduled Monument Consent from the Secretary of State (Ancient Monuments Act 1979).
Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
Listed Building Consent is mandatory; the setting is a material consideration in planning decisions.
Natura 2000 UK (SAC + SPA) and Ramsar
Requires a Habitats Regulations Assessment under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017.
Nutrient Neutrality Catchments
39 catchments where Natural England blocks residential development unless nitrogen and phosphorus neutrality is demonstrated.
Coal Mining Risk Areas
A High Risk Area requires a Coal Mining Risk Assessment from the Coal Authority as part of planning.
Green Belt
A presumption against development unless "very special circumstances" apply (NPPF).
Source Protection Zones (SPZ)
A blocking constraint for industrial/data centre development near abstraction points, under the Groundwater Regulations.
Best and Most Versatile Land (ALC)
Grades 1, 2 and 3a are protected under the NPPF and EN-1 against the loss of high-quality agricultural land.
Applicable regulatory framework
| Regulation | Scope of application |
|---|---|
| NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework) | England's planning policy framework — Green Belt, flood risk, heritage, BMV land. |
| Town and Country Planning Act 1990 | The planning permission and development regime in England and Wales. |
| Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 | SAC, SPA, Habitats Regulations Assessment and nutrient neutrality. |
| Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 | SSSI, Limestone Pavement Orders and species protection. |
| Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 | Scheduled Monuments and Scheduled Monument Consent. |
| Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 | Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and their setting. |
| Environment Act 2021 | Biodiversity Net Gain, Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS). |
| Water Resources Act 1991 | Statutory Main River and Environment Agency powers. |
Applicable framework: NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework), Town and Country Planning Act 1990, Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017, Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979, Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, Environment Act 2021, Water Resources Act 1991. Data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.
Frequently asked questions
Glossary United Kingdom
- NPPF
- National Planning Policy Framework — England's planning policy framework.
- SSSI
- Site of Special Scientific Interest — a nature protection designation (Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981).
- SAC / SPA / Ramsar
- Special Area of Conservation / Special Protection Area / Ramsar wetland — an international protection network.
- AONB
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty — a protected landscape (now National Landscape).
- Listed Building
- A Grade I/II*/II listed building (Historic England, HES, Cadw, NIEA).
- Scheduled Monument
- An archaeological monument protected under the Ancient Monuments Act 1979.
- Flood Zone 3
- The highest flood probability zone on the EA Flood Map for Planning — the "do not develop" baseline.
- REPD
- Renewable Energy Planning Database (DESNZ) — renewable energy projects with their planning status.
- BMV Land
- Best and Most Versatile Land — Grade 1, 2 and 3a agricultural land protected under the NPPF.
- OGL v3
- Open Government Licence v3 — the open licence for official UK data.
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