Geography: Alternate Localities Information Note

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Geography: Alternate Localities Information Note

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Introduction
Background
Locality Geographies

Introduction

This document collates information about the various locality geographies known to be in use in Scotland. The information includes:

the name of the locality geography;
its provenance;
a definition of the geography;
the method of creation;
the known purpose(s) for which the geography was created;
other known uses of the geography;
the number of localities that make up the geography;
whether the geography nests in a higher geography;
whether the geography is composed from another ‘building block’ geography;
whether the boundaries of the geography have been digitised;
whether there is a Government Statistical Service (GSS) code; and
the review period or maintenance regime.

Background

There are a variety of locality geographies used in Scotland. They often have similar names. Despite this, they have been compiled by many different organisations in several different ways. They have also been compiled for a range of purposes, which are not always compatible. It can therefore be somewhat confusing to understand what is meant by ‘locality’ or ‘locality geography’.

This paper aims to document and define the various locality geographies.

Locality Geographies

National Records for Scotland (NRS) – Settlements

Name of geography	Settlements
Provenance	National Records of Scotland
Definition	A settlement is defined to be a group of high density postcodes whose combined population rounds to 500 people or more. They are separated by low density postcodes.
Method	To produce the settlement and locality estimates, the Small Area Population Estimates and the Scottish Postcode Directory are used to generate populations for each live digitised small user postcode. These are then used as the basis for determining whether a postcode should be classed as ‘high density’ or ‘low density’. A postcode was defined as ‘high density’ if at least one of the following three conditions were met: The number of residential addresses per hectare exceeded 2.1; The estimated population per hectare exceeded 5; The number of non-residential addresses per hectare exceeded 0.1. Settlements are then identified as groups of contiguous high density postcodes with a total population which rounds to 500 or more.
Purpose	When the former regions and districts came into being in May 1975, we lost the small local authorities known as large and small burghs. However, Census users still stated – and continue to state – a need to know the population (and characteristics of the population) of such areas. Localities were created since the 1981 Census to fill this need. However, by 2001 NRS decided that any joining localities should be combined into a settlement, while maintaining the localities as a separate statistic. This provided a better representation of the urban areas in Scotland.
Additional uses	An ‘urban and rural’ division is used in the calculation of Grant Aided expenditure for local authorities. Village shops are exempt from business rates if they are in a settlement with population less than 3,000. Provide the basis for the Scottish Government’s Urban/Rural Classification. Land reform legislation will apply only to rural areas of Scotland, defined as those parts of Scotland which are not settlements, as well as any settlements which fall below a minimum number of residents (Community Right to Buy).

National Records for Scotland (NRS) – Localities

Name of geography	Localities
Provenance	National Records of Scotland
Definition	Localities correspond to the more recognisable towns and cities of Scotland which can be found within settlements. They also have a minimum rounded population of 500 people or more.
Method	Localities have been determined by first creating settlements (see NRS Settlements table) and then assigning a locality value to each of the postcodes in the settlement based on whether they fall within a previous locality.
Purpose	When the former regions and districts came into being in May 1975, we lost the small local authorities known as large and small burghs. However, Census users still stated – and continue to state – a need to know the population (and characteristics of the population) of such areas. Localities were created since the 1981 Census to fill this need.
Additional uses	Used in the creation of Census Output Areas. Used in the creation of Census Planning Areas and Field Work Areas. Provide local authorities with better representation of urban areas in their council.
How many localities are in the geography?	655 as of the 2016 publication.
Does it nest in a higher geography?	Yes Settlements
Is there a building-block geography from which it is made?	Yes Postcodes
Have boundaries been digitised?	Yes. Digital boundaries for Scotland were created by NRS using the postcode boundaries from 2016/2.
GSS code	Yes
Review/maintenance	A new version is created periodically in line with new Settlements.

Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) – Locality

Name of geography	Locality
Provenance	Health & Social Care Partnership
Definition	Defined in the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014 as a smaller area within the borders of an Integration Authority (IA) (IA is the official name used in legislation and is therefore the name the Scottish Government (SG) have used on the standard geography code register. The more commonly used name is Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP))
Description	Each locality has been agreed in consultation with local professionals and communities and relate to natural communities. They take locations of GP practices into account. They vary in size according to local circumstances. Methods of creating the localities vary between integration authorities and include use of building- block geographies, use of best-fit building-block geographies, communities and drawing lines on a map.
Method	To meet the provisions of the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014 their purpose is to provide an organisational mechanism for local leadership of service planning, which feeds into the integration authority’s strategic commissioning plan – localities must have real influence on how resources are spent in their area. Partners participating in localities: GP, Primary Care, Secondary Care, Housing, Social Work and Social Care, Third, voluntary and independent sector, communities.
Purpose	To facilitate partnership working.
Additional uses	134
How many localities are in the geography?	Yes Integration authority
Does it nest in a higher geography?	No but a combination of either whole or best fit 2011 Data Zones or 2001 Data Zones, or natural communities.
Is there a building-block geography from which it is made?	Yes
Have boundaries been digitised?	No
GSS Code	No formal central review mechanism in place. Updates may be made locally and in isolation.
Review/maintenance	No formal central review mechanism in place. Updates may be made locally and in isolation.

One Scotland Gazetteer (OSG) – Locality

Name of geography	Locality
Provenance	Improvement Service, for the One Scotland Gazetteer
Definition	As defined in BS76661: local area identified formally or informally by a particular name where people live or where certain activities take place that may form part of a town, or stand in its own right within the context of one or more administrative areas.
Description	A lower level geographical area such as a suburb, small settlement & its surrounds, small rural area or industrial estate. This geography can also include rural estates, shopping centres, educational campuses and caravan parks. Some areas can appear as either a locality or a town within the OSG, depending upon the geographical context of the local area. Although localities do not nest in towns, the locality field within the OSG can only be populated if the town field therein is also populated.
Method	The local council responsible for maintaining the relevant data within the OSG.
Purpose	Provision of a spatial reference for a street, which enables unique identification thereof and forms part of a useful property address.
Additional uses	To help users of the One Scotland Gazetteer to locate streets and addresses.
How many localities are in the geography?	The exact figure fluctuates depending on the data supplied by local council data custodians.
Does it nest in a higher geography?	No
Is there a building-block geography from which it is made?	No
Have boundaries been digitised?	No, and there are no plans to do this. Boundaries of this geography can be flexible and subjective.
GSS Code	No
Review/maintenance	No

One Scotland Gazetteer (OSG) – Town

Name of geography	Town
Provenance	Improvement Service, for the One Scotland Gazetteer
Definition	As defined in BS7666: city or town that is not an administrative area, or a suburb of an administrative area that does not form part of another town.
Description	A higher level geographical area such as a city, an island, a large settlement & its surrounds or a large rural area. Each town may, but does not have to, contain one or more locality.
Method	Not applicable
Purpose	Provision of a spatial reference for a street, which enables unique identification thereof and forms part of a useful property address.
Additional uses	To help users of the One Scotland Gazetteer to locate streets and addresses.
How many localities are in the geography?	The exact figure fluctuates depending on the data supplied by local council data custodians.
Does it nest in a higher geography?	No
Is there a building-block geography from which it is made?	No
Have boundaries been digitised?	No, and there are no plans to do this. Boundaries of this geography can be flexible and subjective.
GSS Code	No
Review/maintenance	No

Royal Mail (RM) Locality Elements – Post Town

Name of geography	Post town
Provenance	Royal Mail
Definition	The post town is an instruction for the delivery office specifying where to route the item of mail. It does not necessarily correspond with the town that is geographically nearest to the delivery point or with county, administrative or local government boundaries. Post town is a mandatory element on RM Postal Address File (PAF)
Purpose	To enable efficient routing of mail deliveries.
Method	Not applicable
Additional uses	Enabling manual sorting of mail where the sender has omitted the postcode from the address on an item of mail, written the wrong postcode in the address on an item of mail or where the sorting machine has rejected the item of mail.
How many localities are in the geography?	293 in Scotland
Does it nest in a higher geography?	No
Is there a building-block geography from which it is made?	Yes Dependent Locality
Have boundaries been digitised?	Yes NRS created a set of digital boundaries for Scotland using the postcode boundaries from 2015/2 Scottish Postcode Directory.
GSS Code	No
Review/maintenance	Periodic. Boundaries would need to be maintained in line with postcodes. RM may create a new post town.

Royal Mail (RM) Locality Elements – Double Dependent Locality

Name of locality geography	Dependent locality
Provenance	Royal Mail
Definition	The line above the post town in an address. The name of the geographical area in which the delivery point is situated - for instance the name of the suburb.
Purpose	Further definition of the geographical area in which a delivery point is situated. Disambiguation where more than one thoroughfare of the same name exists within the boundaries of a post town. Efficient routing of mail deliveries.
Method	Not applicable
Additional uses	Enabling manual sorting of mail where the sender has omitted the postcode from the address on an item of mail, written the wrong postcode in the address on an item of mail or where the sorting machine has rejected the item of mail.
How many localities are in the geography?	2,702 in Scotland
Does it nest in a higher geography?	Yes Post town
Is there a building-block geography from which it is made?	Yes Double dependent locality
Have boundaries been digitised?	Yes Digital boundaries for Scotland were produced by NRS using the postcode boundaries from 2015/2.
GSS Code	No
Review/maintenance	Periodic. Boundaries would need to be maintained in line with postcodes. RM may add new Dependent localities

Royal Mail (RM) Locality Elements – Dependent Locality

Name of geography	Double dependent locality
Provenance	Royal Mail
Definition	The line above the dependent locality in an address. The name of the smaller geographical area in which a delivery point is situated - for instance the name of the village. Not all dependent localities have associated double dependent localities
Purpose	Further definition of the geographical area in which a delivery point is situated. Disambiguation where more than one thoroughfare of the same name exists within the boundaries of a dependent locality. Efficient routing of mail deliveries.
Method	Not applicable
Additional uses	Enabling manual sorting of mail where the sender has omitted the postcode from the address on an item of mail, written the wrong postcode in the address on an item of mail or where the sorting machine has rejected the item of mail.
How many localities are in the geography?	451 in Scotland
Does it nest in a higher geography?	Yes Dependent locality
Is there a building-block geography from which it is made?	No
Have boundaries been digitised?	Yes Digital boundaries for Scotland were produced by NRS using the postcode boundaries for 2015/2.
GSS code	No
Review/maintenance	Periodic. Boundaries would need to be maintained in line with postcodes. RM may add new Double Dependent localities

An example of how the different RM locality elements appear in a made-up address:

123 High Street
The Green
Sampleby
Exampleton
XX1 1AA

The Green	Double dependent locality
Sampleby	Dependent locality
Exampleton	Post town

Local authorities – Locality

Name of geography	Locality
Provenance	Local authorities
Definition	As defined in the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014: a division of the area of the local council for the purpose of preparing an integration scheme. A smaller area within the borders of an integration authority.
Method	A geographical subdivision of the area for which the relevant local council is responsible. Each council area has been split into localities. The number and size of these localities varies according to local circumstances. The localities correspond with those used for the integration of Health & Social Care.
Purpose	To meet the requirements of the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014.
Additional uses	To enable management of council services at a local level and alignment of council services with local needs. To facilitate partnership working.
How many localities are in the geography?	Varies by local council (for instance City of Edinburgh Council has four, South Ayrshire Council has six).
Does it nest in a higher geography?	Yes Council area Integration Authority
Is there a building-block geography from which it is made?	Yes, in some local authorities only Neighbourhood partnership (as defined by local council)
Have boundaries been digitised?	Yes Each local council is responsible for digitising their own locality boundaries.

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