Request for information - Ref No: FOI231152
Request
Thank you for your email of 17 May 2023, requesting information from Ordnance Survey in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000, as set out in the extract below:
“Please may I ask how much land is included within the following categories:
- England Coast Path Coastal Margin
- Village Greens
- Doorstep Greens
- Millennium Greens
- Registered Common Land
- Countryside and Rights of Way Act, Section 15 Land
- Countryside and Rights of Way Act, Access Land
- OS Open Greenspace
- Can I also have a precise definition of what is included within OS Open Greenspace as it may overlap with other categories”
Our response
I confirm that Ordnance Survey does hold some of the information you have requested. Where the information is not held this is stated. Taking each request in turn, I confirm the following:
OS publishes third-party information from authoritative bodies, the measurements given at question 1, 5, 6 and 7 below represent the geographic area covered by this data. We received the data in categories 1, 5, 6, and 7 from Natural England.
1. England Coast Path Coastal Margin
We hold data representing Coastal Access land, this represents the Coastal Margin and is 804.5 km2.
2. Village Greens
3. Doorstep Greens
4. Millennium Greens
With regard to categories 2,3 and4 above, we do not hold the requested information.
This information is not captured or classified in our data; we are therefore, unable to provide you with the requested information.
5. Registered Common Land
6. Countryside and Rights of Way Act, Section 15 Land
7. Countryside and Rights of Way Act, Access Land
With regard to categories 5,6 and 7 above, we do not hold this data in these separate categories, they are instead held in a single classification.
Under the duty to provide information and assistance in accordance with section 16 of FOIA, we can provide you with the total combined figure for categories 5, 6 and 7 which is 10149.1 km2.
You may wish to contact Natural England as they may be able to provide the figures for each individual category listed at 5,6 and 7.
8. OS Open Greenspace
Please see the attached .csv file which provides for each function within OS Open Greenspace the total number of m2, ha and km2 (the latter two values shown to two decimal places) associated with each function.
Please note that OS Open Greenspace data is not supplied with an area value calculated from its geometry, this would have to be calculated separately; and the polygons are ‘generalised’, they do not follow exactly the underlying topology and the calculated areas provided are therefore approximations to real world feature objects.
9. Can I also have a precise definition of what is included within OS Open Greenspace as it may overlap with other categories
Please refer to our website page for OS Open Greenspace, in particular the OS Open Greenspace support documentation (PDF) provides a definition of OS Open Greenspace as ‘publicly accessible greenspace’ which are sites that the public can use for recreational activities and outdoor leisure. It also lists the various functions (the purpose of the greenspace site).
Internal review
Your enquiry has been processed according to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000. If you are unhappy with our response, you may request an internal review with our Internal Review Officer by contacting them, within two months of receipt of our final response to your Freedom of Information (FOI) request, as follows:
Internal Review Officer
Customer Service Centre
Ordnance Survey
Adanac Drive
Southampton
SO16 0AS
Please include the reference number above. You may request an internal review where you believe Ordnance Survey has:
- Failed to respond to your request within the time limits (normally 20 working days)
- Failed to tell you whether or not we hold the information
- Failed to provide the information you have requested
- Failed to explain the reasons for refusing a request
- Failed to correctly apply an exemption or exception
The Internal Review Officer will not have been involved in the original decision. They will conduct an independent internal review and will inform you of the outcome of the review normally within 20 working days, but exceptionally within 40 working days, in line with the Information Commissioner’s guidance.
The Internal Review Officer will either: uphold the original decision, provide an additional explanation of the exemption/s applied or release further information, if it is considered appropriate to do so.
Appeal to Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
If, following the outcome of the internal review you remain unhappy with our response, you may raise an appeal, within three months of receiving our response, with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Further information can be found on the ICO website (ico.org.uk) under ‘Report a concern’ or you may wish to call the ICO helpline on 0303 123 1113.