Peter Silvester, GIS Manager, and Charlie Dacke, GIS Technician at East Hampshire District Council, explain how they have implemented Hometrack's GIS Web Browser (now known as dataMAP Online), adding some personal touches.   

History

East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) have been using Hometrack dataMAP GIS corporately on desktops for a number of years, and at present there are 300 dataMAP users throughout various Council departments.

The Requirement

As part of Central Government's e-gov initiative, EHDC was required to make a wide range of Council information available to members of the public via the Council website.

The Solution

The decision was taken to use Hometrack's dataMAP GIS Web Browser to fulfil this requirement.  Using a map-based method of presenting information to the public provided a means of visually integrating many different types of data from various Council departments.  Displaying this in relation to geographical locations would make the information easy to understand and query.

The Council consulted an internal IT User Group to decide what information should be available via the GIS Web Browser.

Many layers of information were already in existence on EHDC's corporate dataMAP GIS.  However, some new layers were identified by the IT User Group that might be of interest, such as schools, train stations, public toilets, libraries and recycling points.

Unusually for a Local Authority, EHDC are hosting the GIS Web Browser themselves.  This makes the data very dynamic and up-to-date, as it is very easy to amend and upload changes. 

EHDC were one of the first Councils to create an LLPG ( Local Land and Property Gazetteer), and are constantly monitoring changes to ensure that their address data is up to date for the public to view.

The GIS Web Browser was set up to ensure Single A compliance, enabling, for example, people with impaired sight to select options more easily.

EHDC have also added a Google link, enabling an automatic Google search to be performed on objects selected via the GIS Web Browser. There is also the possibility of linking to sources of additional data, such as photos and video.

The feedback on the website from members of the public have been excellent.

The Council have a lot of confidence in Hometrack's GIS Web Browser software. EHDC have found that Hometrack's have provided them with a very good service, delivering on time with excellent results and enabling the project to be completed in only 3 months.

Benefits

• The Council has demonstrated good progress in implementing the Government's e-gov agenda for enabling online access of Council information to members of the public

• The GIS Web Browser is also proving to be a fantastic tool internally for Council staff to check addresses, find properties and view layers, without having to use the desktop GIS.  The GIS Web Browser is so easy to use it has enabled a much wider range of Council staff to view GIS data

The Future

Future plans include:

• Additional layers such as doctors, dentists, post offices, entertainment venues, TPO's and the Local Plan

• Implementing a link to the Council's Acolaid Development Control System from Plantech, so that queries can be undertaken and the appropriate information viewed on the GIS Web Browser

• Possibility of adding a routeing module to the GIS Web Browser

• EHDC hope to have 80% of their services online within the year, delivering on their IEG statement

www.easthants.gov.uk