Distance measuring tool for new admissions

[Stormborn15]

Hi there,

 

Can anybody recommend a tool (free or paid) for measuring accurate distances for school admissions. Google maps is not precise enough apparently. Any ideas much appreciated.

 

Thanks

[pastymaster]

I'm interested as well, it'd be interesting to see what kind of tools are out there.

[TechMonkey]

As the crow flies or via road? & what accuracy do they want?

[Stormborn15]

As the crow flies or via road? & what accuracy do they want?

I've been told that it has to be specific to house number...

[DJ-1701]

To be fair... if Google Maps isn't precise enough for them... I don't know what would be... and it's certainly far better than the old fashioned map and ruler days...

[Stormborn15]

To be fair... if Google Maps isn't precise enough for them... I don't know what would be... and it's certainly far better than the old fashioned map and ruler days...

 

The admissions booklet states that they use OS's Addresspoint dataset - but when you do to the site it says that that is now withdrawn... Don't know how much more accurate that is compared to google maps...

[pcstru]

Google maps is not precise enough apparently.

If you lack precision it is just a question of adjusting the size of the warhead.

 

(which is to say every measurement has an error but if you know what it is, it is possible to solve problems where individual measurements are arbitrarily imprecise).

 

ETA - for some admissions processes it used to be a matter of sifting data to finding out which applicants would need someone to go out and measure the distance with a surveyor's wheel. Sometimes what you need to know is when the possible error of your measuring tool is insufficient to comply with policy/legislation.

Edited May 15, 2017 by pcstru

[TechMonkey]

Looks like Address Layer 2 is the replacement (https://data.gov.uk/dataset/os-mastermap-address-layer-2). No idea on cost, which means more than the school would want to pay, but it looks more like it is geared towards developers integrating it into their application.

 

It does look like you may be able to access the Public Sector Mapping Agreement, but that has to be done through a member org, so maybe speak to your LA?

 

What it comes down to, in my opinion, is if someone is telling you that Google is not good enough they should suggest or dictate what is acceptable.

[Sylv3r]

We used to go to county hall at the LA and use their Ordnance Survey software in the admissions team - what a pain that was back in the day!

[Stormborn15]

 

What it comes down to, in my opinion, is if someone is telling you that Google is not good enough they should suggest or dictate what is acceptable.

It is the Office Manager - I will gather all information and pass back to her ...admissions ( who do it currently and who we are taking over from and doing it ourselves ) are the ones that suggested the Address point.. but as that is now discontinued... wonder what they use?... for some reason not allowed to talk to them until confirmed that we are doing it ourselves?.... :-/

[TechMonkey]

Ohhhh. Run away!!! That sounds political!!!!