The URLs for maps, journey planners and Google Earth follow standard formats which can be used by any local authority on their own websites. See any eGR local authority page e.g Aberdeen or Brent.

Postcode data can be used for maps and journey planners although postcodes do not necessarily give an accurate geographical location. Decimal (WGS84 format) latitude and longitude coordinates are advisable for maps when the postcode does not provide an accurate position. Latitude and longitude can be found by using FlashEarth, Google Maps, Google Earth, Microsoft Virtual Earth, Multimap or StreetMap or see Wikipedia:Obtaining_geographic_coordinates. We currently prefer FlashEarth because it is easy to switch betweeen Google and MS maps and Streetmap has a useful coordinate convertor.

The following abbreviations for variable data are used:

xpc1 = Postcode (all one word e.g MK93EJ)
xpc2 = Postcode (two words separated by + e.g MK9+3EJ)
xaddr = Address (all spaces replaced by + e.g Civic+Offices,+1+Saxon+Gate+East,+Silbury+Boulevard,+Milton+Keynes,+MK9+3EJ)
xaddrul = Address (underlined Civic Offices, Silbury Boulevard, Milton Keynes, MK9 3EJ)
xlat = latitude (decimal e.g 52.043687)
xlon = longitude (decimal e.g -0.760962)
xosx = OS Grid X value (e.g 485084)
xosy = OS Grid Y value (e.g 239081)
zgz = an appropriate zoom level for the map (e.g 15)
xdomain = website domain (e.g miltonkeynes.gov.uk)
xlaname = Local Authority name as in the e-Gov Register (any spaces replaced by + e.g Milton+Keynes)

A) Using postcode data

A.1 Google maps : maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=xpc2(xaddr)&z=xgz
e.g http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=MK9+3EJ(Civic+Offices,+Silbury+Boulevard,+Milton+Keynes)&z=15

A.2 Multimap : www.multimap.com/p/browse.cgi?pc=xpc2&title=xlaname
e.g http://www.multimap.com/p/browse.cgi?pc=MK9+3EJ&title=Civic+Offices,+Silbury+Boulevard,+Milton+Keynes

A.3 StreetMap : www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?postcode2map?xpc2&xlaname
e.g http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?postcode2map?MK9+3EJ&Civic+Offices,+Silbury+Boulevard,+Milton+Keynes

A.4 Transport Direct journey planner TO this location (valid for all mainland UK) : www.transportdirect.info/transportdirect/en/journeyplanning/jplandingpage.aspx?id=xdomain&oo=p&d=xpc2&do=p
e.g http://www.transportdirect.info/transportdirect/en/journeyplanning/jplandingpage.aspx?id=miltonkeynes.gov.uk&oo=p&d=MK9+3EJ&do=p

A.5 Transport Direct journey planner FROM this location (valid for all mainland UK) : www.transportdirect.info/transportdirect/en/journeyplanning/jplandingpage.aspx?id=xdomain&oo=p&o=xpc2&do=p
e.g http://www.transportdirect.info/transportdirect/en/journeyplanning/jplandingpage.aspx?id=miltonkeynes.gov.uk&oo=p&o=MK9+3EJ&do=p

A.6 Transport for London journey planner TO this location (valid only for London addresses) : journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/user/XSLT_TRIP_REQUEST2?language=en&execInst=&sessionID=0&ptOptionsActive=-1&place_destination=London&name_destination=xpc2&type_destination=locator
e.g http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/user/XSLT_TRIP_REQUEST2?language=en&execInst=&sessionID=0&ptOptionsActive=-1&place_destination=London&name_destination=HA9+9HD&type_destination=locator


B) Using decimal lat/long coordinates

B.1 Google maps: maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=xlat,xlon(xaddr)&z=xgz
e.g http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=52.0436,-0.7609(Civic+Offices,+Silbury+Boulevard,+Milton+Keynes)&z=15

B.2 Microsoft Virtual Earth: maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=xlat~xlon&style=a&lvl=16&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000
e.g http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=52.0436~-0.7609&style=a&lvl=16&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000

B.3 Multimap: www.multimap.com/p/browse.cgi?lat=xlat&lon=xlon&title=xaddr&icon=x
e.g http://www.multimap.com/p/browse.cgi?lat=52.0436&lon=-0.7609&title=Civic+Offices,+Silbury+Boulevard,+Milton+Keynes&icon=x

B.4 FlashEarth: www.flashearth.com/?lat=xlat&lon=xlon&z=xgz
e.g http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=52.0436&lon=-0.7609&z=17

B.5 Google Earth (see note below) : maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=xlat,xlon(xaddr)&z=xgz&output=kml
e.g http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=52.0436,-0.7609(Civic+Offices,+Silbury+Boulevard,+Milton+Keynes)&z=15&output=kml

Google Earth requires a KML file to be generated. It is possible to generate KML files from the Google Maps URL using the &output=kml parameter but currently you have no control over the zoom level etc. The eGR website generates its own KML files using data held for each local authority or supplier office location (such as the lat/long coordinates, image resolution etc) in the format www.brent.gov.uk/egr.nsf/KMLforLAs/xlaname.kml - e.g http://www.brent.gov.uk/egr.nsf/KMLforLAs/Milton+Keynes.kml

See KML files for more information on how to construct your own KML files.


C) Using OS Grid coordinates

C.1 Transport Direct journey planner TO this location (valid for all mainland UK) : www.transportdirect.info/transportdirect/en/journeyplanning/jplandingpage.aspx?&dn=xaddrul&d=xosx,xosy
e.g http://www.transportdirect.info/transportdirect/en/journeyplanning/jplandingpage.aspx?&dn=Civic Offices, Silbury Boulevard, Milton Keynes&d=485084,239081

C.2 Transport Direct journey planner FROM this location (valid for all mainland UK) : www.transportdirect.info/transportdirect/en/journeyplanning/jplandingpage.aspx?&on=xaddrul&o=xosx,xosy
e.g http://www.transportdirect.info/transportdirect/en/journeyplanning/jplandingpage.aspx?&on=Civic Offices, Silbury Boulevard, Milton Keynes&o=485084,239081

To find OS Grid coordinates you can use the very helpful Streetmap.co.uk coordinate converter e.g http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?GridConvert?name=485084,239081&type=OSGrid


D) Using the Google Maps API

The eGR website uses the Google Maps API to generate and display custom maps of product usage or partnerships. Any of these maps can be called by using their respective URLs.

e.g usage of Government Gateway - http://www.brent.gov.uk/egr.nsf/ProductUsageMap?OpenForm&Product=Government+Gateway
or LAs in North East Connects - http://www.brent.gov.uk/egr.nsf/GroupMap?OpenForm&Group=North+East+Connects

A list of UK local authorities using the Google Maps API is available from http://www.brent.gov.uk/egr.nsf/prodbyname/Google+Maps+API


N.B.
There is no guarantee that these organisations will continue to provide URL links to their websites in the ways described above.
The Terms and Conditions associated with use of these websites/software need to be respected.

This page was last updated on 8 January 2008