Aerial mapping company Bluesky has completed a project to create a digital map of Rutland County Council’s highway network. More than 400 individual paper maps, some over thirty years old, were scanned to create very high resolution digital image files, creating a seamless map of the whole County. The digital map base, which was georeferenced to match the Council’s current Ordnance Survey mapping, is already being used to improve the management of works on the highway and will form an essential source of information for a project to create a detailed highway asset inventory.

“The original maps provided an invaluable record of the Council’s highway network and related assets. Used on a daily basis to confirm the status and extent of the public highway, they were the first stop when dealing with enquiries or works related to the highway,” said Dave Brown, Acting Head of Highways. “By transforming the paper archive into an integrated digital map base we have increased both the efficiency and accuracy of our day-to-day operation, improved accessibility to a valuable information resource and ensured the long term security of the data.”

Bluesky, a specialist in aerial imaging and remote sensing data collection and processing, was awarded the Rutland contract based on technical merit and previous experience. The 450 individual highway maps were scanned at 600 dpi giving resulting images a final ground resolution of 12.5 cm equivalent to a map scale of 1:500. Each image was then geo-referenced to the Ordnance Survey National Grid and mosaiced together to produce a seamless map base of the whole county.

The digital map layer was supplied to Rutland Council in a compressed format (ECW) for use within the authority’s corporate geographical information system (GIS) from MapInfo where it will be used to assist with the day-to-day management of the highway and for long term strategic projects. “Now we have a digital record of our transport infrastructure we can begin the task of updating the base information and creating a detailed asset inventory for future management of highway network,” concluded Mr Brown. The data will also be accessed using the Council’s Intranet based mapping service providing desktop access to the valuable information resource to other departments such as planning and legal services.

Bluesky is a UK based company specialising in aerial imaging and remote sensing data collection and processing. With projects extending around the globe it has an international reputation for the creation of seamless, digital aerial photography and 3D landscape / cityscape visualisations. BlueSky’s national mapping centre provides digital mapping, site plans, satellite imagery and detailed aerial photography.

Aerial survey specialist Bluesky has created a giant photographic print to help people understand the main issues facing the future of the South Oxfordshire landscape. This is part of the Northmoor Trust’s new Project Timescape education and visitor centre, based near Oxford. Showing 126 sq km of South Oxfordshire from the air, the photomap was commissioned by the Northmoor Trust to support their educational programme and community outreach activities. This new tool is helping visitors to visualise the impact of development projects on the environment.

The Bluesky photographic print measures 3½ metres by 2½ metres and is mounted on a free standing platform, enabling groups of school children, volunteers, members of the public and even policy makers easy access to all areas. Magnetic overlays, based on the original landscape but depicting different scenarios such as a new airport, power station or housing project, can be attached to the photomap in order to visualise and understand their impact on the environment.

“Making a difference for the future is all about changing attitudes,” said Claire Poulton, Director of Education and Training at The Northmoor Trust. “Using the Bluesky photomap groups are encouraged to understand the landscape as it is and consider the impact a range of scenarios may have on the landscape of the future. The imagery has a real ‘wow’ factor; it is easy to use and draws people in and therefore encourages participation in the activities.”

Claire added, “Using the overlays the model can be changed to create the landscape of the future. A member of our education team introduces a specific scenario allowing the group to develop the initial idea and consider all possible developments. For example government targets require nearly 11,000 new homes in South Oxfordshire by 2026. Using the photomap, groups are encouraged to consider where these new homes could be located and what infrastructure, such as power, transport and leisure facilities, need to be put in place to support them.”

The Northmoor Trust is a charity that promotes conservation through exemplary land management, education and land science. Based in South Oxfordshire The Trust manages an estate of 300 hectares, including Little Wittenham Nature Reserve, a conservation grade farm and new woodland dedicated to forestry research – all of which are clearly featured on the Bluesky photomap.