New Environmental Data viewing service 'EnviroFIND'

Today we launch ‘EnviroFIND’ – an online commercial environmental data viewing subscription service. The service has been specifically designed for organisations which need to view Environment Agency and BGS/NERC data while being legally compliant.

It is currently the only web source offering instant access to this information at flat or reduced rates.

Currently using free Environment Agency data viewers? See our functionality comparison

EnviroFIND provides:

• Unlimited viewing of over 20 Environment Agency and British Geological Survey data layers
• Subsidised viewing costs for dozens of other environmental data layers
• Data fully usable for commercial purposes

Rob Vollans, of Mott MacDonald, said “EnviroFIND is just what the industry needs right now with a user-friendly interface that gives the user access to key environmental data of their choosing, rather than being presented with pages of data which the user does not want or possibly need.”

Jonathan Cundall, 4Site Associates Ltd, said “EnviroFIND is an intuitive web based service which provides our business the flexibility to not only purchase data at very competitive prices, but also to review and assess a very wide range of data quickly and in an iterative approach. This real time service allows us to save time and money and provide an improved service to all our clients. We believe that EnviroFIND moves the provision of environmental data to the next level.

Currently using free Environment Agency data viewers? See our functionality comparison

EnviroFIND was developed in collaboration with key environmental clients already using FIND Maps. This has resulted in a service which meets industry requirements and can be delivered at a low cost - equivalent to just a few pounds per day. A subscription to EnviroFIND allows an unlimited number of views of basic BGS/NERC data layers and Environment Agency data, including NAFRA and EA Flood Zones. More sophisticated BGS layers such as Ground Stability and Radon Affected areas data can also be viewed at reduced rates.

The service will allow a range of organisations to use environmental data more effectively. Desk Studies and bid preparations can be completed more efficiently as specific data can be targeted rather than having to sift through lengthy reports. Clients will be able to use our online interactive tools to create their own annotations and graphics prior to printing the data. EnviroFIND costs between £25-35 per month depending upon the subscription period and number of licences purchased.

To sign up just go to: http://www.findmaps.com/enviroFind

Listed Building Controversy in the City

The Broadgate Centre, an office and retail estate in the heart of The City of London may not be everyone’s idea of heritage, but every decade has its architectural high points, and the 1980s is no exception.

The complex is described by English Heritage as “one of the most important and successful developments of its period and type, possessing special architectural and historic interest”. They also note that it is a “triumph of urbanism, a special place in the financial heart of the capital”. It’s therefore unsurprising that the body charged with protecting our built heritage should recommend that it be granted Grade II listed building status.

Broadgate Arena, City of London. Photo: Jim Linwood., Creative Commons, FLICKR 

By refusing to endorse this recommendation, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has cleared the way for British Land and its private equity partner Blackstone to demolish 4 and 6 Broadgate. They will be replaced with a new European HQ for Swiss bank UBS. British Land’s new development, representing an investment of £850m, will commence almost immediately. Staff here at FIND, based in The City of London, were particularly pleased to learn that British Land has given an undertaking to preserve the open space at Broadgate Arena which hosts sporting events during the summer and is transformed into an ice rink during the winter.

Listing a building is not meant to fossilise it – especially when long-term interests are often best served by putting it to good use. However, listing does ensure that the architectural and historical interest of a building is carefully considered before alterations are agreed. It is therefore vital that developers, planners, insurers and estate agents have instant access to detailed information about listed buildings.

At www.findmaps.co.uk you will find data on all listed buildings in the UK – approximately 370,000 in total. Links are provided to either the Images of England or the Historic Scotland websites for additional information about particular buildings. Images of England is a ‘point in time’ photographic library of England’s listed buildings recorded at the turn of the 21st century.

Listed building locations as seen on findmaps.co.uk

Further valuable information can be found under planning applications on the FIND web portal. This layer displays details of all planning applications for properties, whether granted, refused or pending. The applications can be filtered to display information by month, year, size, property type, development type or status of application.

LEGO for grown ups

Lego Architecture started in 2007 as a collaborative project between the Lego Group and Chicago architect Adam Reed Tucker. A range of models has now been created, including Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Guggenheim Museum.

Official Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House in Lego, £54.99

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Guggenheim Museum in Lego, £34.99

At FIND Maps, we offer 3D building models from Z Mapping for a range of towns and cities in Great Britain. The models are the most detailed and accurate currently available and offer architects and CAD modellers a true to life representation of a site or project area.

3D models are a cost effective tool which can be used to explore strategic view shed, planning and height restrictions, mast installation, sun/shadow and environmental factors, and a good deal more.

We also offer a range of detailed mapping, aerial photography and height models to create your own 3D building models form scratch in CAD or LEGO!

More details about 3D models from FIND Maps
More details about Ordnance Survey mapping (DWG, DXF, TAB, SHP formats)
More details about Height Models (DSM and DTM)
More details about current and historical aerial photography
Go to Lego Architecture home page

EU Environmental Liability Directive: How FIND Maps can help you

For UK businesses and environmental companies, recently introduced laws present challenges and opportunities; are you aware of how these could impact you?

EU Environmental Liability Directive into the Environmental Damage (Prevention and Remediation) Regulations 2009 creates a code of strict liability for pollution incidents and means that the concept of the ‘polluter pays’ is enshrined in UK Law. Unlike other EU countries Environmental Insurance is not compulsory under UK legislation.

One leading Environmental insurance professional likened this situation to a ‘business wandering blind into a potential minefield, with potential catastrophic exposure of the company’s Balance Sheet’; many companies are simply not aware or closing their eyes to the potential liability.

The legislation places new burdens on businesses to report environmental incidents, damage or potential damage and places burdens on any company that conduct activities that could impact on the ecosystem. Various headings of ‘environmental damage’ have been created, such as:

• Damage to Land, Surface or Groundwater
• Impact on Sites of Special Scientific Interest
• Impact on Protected Species
• Impact on Natural Habitats

Each heading applies different methodologies for assessing the level of damage and hence the amount the polluter must pay. The unfortunate news for both industry and the authorities is that the determination of environmental damage will involve extensive testing by qualified technicians, requirements for extensive datasets, which will come at a financial cost.

Therefore the requirement for many businesses, environmental responders and consultants to have available the most up to date and readily available geo-information is imperative.

The more rapidly the information can be compiled, the more effective the containment plan and the more the damage or impacts can be limited.

FIND Maps is ideally placed to assist a range of organisations fulfil and be fully aware of their potential liabilities under this new legislation:

1. Environmental Contractors
2. Businesses required to prepare environmental response plans
3. Environmental lawyers
4. Environmental Insurance Adjusters, Underwriters

Our extensive array of Environmental, Land Use, Hydrological and Geological datasets are instantly available online for either viewing or printing.

They can be quickly relayed to response crews, aiding the formulation of the containment plan. The data can then be used to formulate the Remediation plan.

New options are being developed by our in-house team to provide increasingly cost effective solutions to aid our clients and business partners to address their Geo-data requirements.

FIND Maps is a leading provider of Online Environment Agency, BGS, OS and other data sources. We are the only company that has an extensive array of BGS and Environmental Agency datasets immediately available.

In a spill response situation this information is invaluable and has the potential to save our clients many £ ‘000’s by being able to compile Geo-Data in a rapid manner.

Contained below is a montage of some of the datasets available from our website that can be compiled into a rapid response report.

More information on above maps and data

Tell me more about Ordnance Survey base mapping

Tell me more about Pollution Incidents from the Environment Agency

Tell me more about flood risk data from the Environment Agency and BGS 

Tell me more about the Soil permeability layer from the BGS

Tell me more about the Geology data package from the BGS

More information on the EU Environmental Liability Directive

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/netregs/legislation/current/104965.aspx

Unleashing the potential of the PSMA

For fans of acronyms, the PSMA (Public Sector Mapping Agreement) replaces the old PGA, MSA and GLA. This initiative gives public bodies access to Ordnance Survey maps and address data for free.

Annotate maps with text and drawn areas.  Such as, clearly showing the impact of a new supermarket development on local residents

Over 750 organisations will benefit, including community, parish and local councils, the emergency services, health authorities, development agencies, environmental organisations, local authorities and government departments.

Use arrows to highlight important areas and features or mark roads over OS maps.
Such as, show areas most effected by a fire and roads that may need closing

PSMA maps and data can be used for a vast array of purposes including mapping and managing assets, strategic decision making and much more. Ten different OS products are available under the scheme. Importantly, this list features the OS MasterMap® Topography Layer which is the most detailed mapping available for Great Britain. To get started qualifying organisations just need to fill in a form on the Ordnance Survey website.

However, in order to put this free data to work you will need technical services and tools – and that’s where FIND comes in. We can manage all updates and deliver data via a customised web portal, including a set of high quality mapping tools or provide WMS/WFS feeds to your own applications.

Find out more about the PSMA and FIND
Use a demonstration of FIND’s technology on our free mapping portal for the general public

Doing ‘The Knowledge’ in 1785

In order to get a Hackney License, London cab drivers must do ‘The Knowledge’. This means poring over maps to learn by heart 320 runs (routes from A to B) and 30,000 points (places of interest).

Historic map of London Westminster from 1745 

A recently discovered map seems to indicate that coachmen were doing much the same in 1785. The rare linen map shows routes through the labyrinthine streets of Georgian London, lists places of interest and even details fares.

The 226 year old map is due to be sold at auction next month.

Further details and images of the map can be found at: www.dailymail.co.uk

Environmental Professional looking for a cheaper way to complete your Environmental Desk Studies?

www.findmaps.co.uk may have just the solution you are looking for.

We should all remember the following classic quote from an infamous source:

"There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know."

Donald Rumsfeld

Environmental professionals are required to access a vast array of data during their environmental studies, paying for this data can be expensive, especially when the data you paid for proves to be not applicable to your site. For example you are required to review the proximity and location of any hazardous waste sources, you purchase the data, export and download it for the project area plus a 1000 m radius, and there are happen to be no sources, is the money wasted in paying for a negative answer, what are the alternatives?

www.findmaps.co.uk is a website that allows you to view and, if required, print environmental data in the pre-report phase of a project, saving you both time and money. It is also a cost effective method of allowing you compile information that may be relevant to Tender preparation.

For many environmental studies, you as an environmental professional, are required to confirm and certify the existence or non-existence and proximity of an array of information for your project site. FIND Maps has come up with a cost effective alternative to blindly downloading or ordering this data. We are the ONLY online data provider who has a ‘pay per view’ service with no minimum required spend. www.findmaps.co.uk contains an ever expanding array of data relevant to environmental professionals. We currently have nearly 200 different datasets, and based upon recommendations from our clients we are expanding this continually.

How does our PAY PER VIEW service operate??

The website allows users to select their area of study, map scale and base map. Environmental professionals are then able to view their targeted data at a much reduced fee as opposed to -paying a more expensive fee to print or export the data. . You as a professional can then confidently certify those datasets which are not applicable to your project site and note in any report that there are no occurrences in the project site. You have now cost effectively confirmed the known knowns and the known unknowns. All views once paid for are recorded and you are able in the future to access that data via your saved project on our FIND Maps site. The length of time that you can access the stored view depends upon the data providers individual licensing requirements, but it will typically be several months.

Now that you know which data is applicable to your project area you can now just pay to PRINT (as a layered PDF or JPG) or EXPORT only THE DATA THAT OCCURS ON YOUR PROJECT SITE for storage on your own GIS or CAD system. Either of these options is cheaper via FIND Maps than at any of other mapping provider.

Viewing the Unknown - Pollution incidents

The Unknown Confirmed.....No pollution incidents

Total cost 50p vs many ££ to buy the data and no minimum charge

Time savings: Instant Access Vs. Weeks from the Environment Agency

££££££’s

So what are the Savings??

As an example, let us take a theoretical area of interest of 1 sq km around a location and say 20 different datasets that require analysis per the project Environmental Review specification.

Option A

Total Cost if all 20 datasets are acquired                              £ 200.00

Option B- The FIND Maps Option

Total cost to view all 20 datasets                                         £ 40.00

From viewing the data only 10 datasets apply to your area

Print cost of 10 datasets                                                    £ 40.00

Total Cost of Option B                                                        £ 80.00

Net Savings                                                                       £ 120.00


The savings can be considerable, especially for organizations engaged in producing many environmental reports a year.


FORMAL REPORTS:

For projects where the client requires a formal report, FIND Maps is a leading supplier of GroundSure Insight Bundles. These are a cost effective alternative to other Packages on the market and are available from FIND Maps for only £179.

GroundSure Insight Bundles utilise more datasets, have a higher resolution and are cheaper than competitor products.

FIND Maps is simply the most cost effective and comprehensive online data provider for your project requirements.