Hartley Wintney, UK, May 13th 2013 – Parish Online, Getmapping’s web-based mapping software, is proving to be an essential tool for Town, Community and Parish Councils in managing their local area. Usage continues to grow, ranging from analysing planning issues in meetings and plotting assets for better insurance reporting, to drafting Neighbourhood Plans.

“Parish Online is excellent for looking into planning applications and especially useful in communicating the issues in meetings by putting the live maps up on a screen,” said John Henson from Poringland Parish Council.

Over 500 Parish Councils now regularly use the service, with over half a million maps served from Getmapping’s Data Centre. Parish Online contains a large range of mapping data, from high resolution Getmapping aerial photography and Ordnance Survey mapping (using the PSMA licence) through to other national datasets such as Natural England SSSIs and Countryside Rights of Way.

“The aerial photography from Getmapping is very useful. Switching from Ordnance Survey mapping to photography allows us to verify land uses and features on the ground” said Geoffrey Parkes from Hinton Charterhouse Parish Council.

Parish Online can also connect to Local Authority mapping datasets to feed additional important data through to the Parish Clerk. This data sharing strengthens the link between different tiers of Government to better serve the public.

Martin Laker from Bath & North East Somerset Council has long been an advocate of the software noting, “We are now able to share our up-to-date GIS information, such as listed buildings, school crossing patrols, highways inventory and Housing Association data with all our Parishes. Collaborating with Parish Councils in this way makes them more independent which promotes the Localism agenda.”

“By offering web software that is easy-to-use and sensibly priced, the barriers to using quality mapping are lowered. Parish Clerks around England and Wales have really engaged with us by providing invaluable feedback and enthusiasm so I’d attribute Parish Online’s success to them,” commented Chris Mewse, GIS Product Manager at Getmapping.

Parish Online can be ordered through the Parish Online website by a Parish Clerk with a valid PSMA licence number. www.parish-online.co.uk