Press Release

Redditch Borough Council rolls out integrated GIS/CAD system based on Cadcorp SIS software

Redditch Borough Council has completed the first stages of the implementation of a new corporate-wide system designed to provide both geographic information system (GIS) and computer-aided design/drafting (CAD) facilities to its various operational departments. The Council selected the Cadcorp SIS (Spatial Information System) digital mapping and GIS software suite, which also provides comprehensive 3D modelling and 2D drafting facilities, as the basis of the new system, which replaces the Council existing system.

With its planning, engineering, cleansing/landscape, highways and estates departments now using the new Cadcorp SIS-based system for their day-to-day operations, the Council is currently extending its use to other departments, including building control, land charges, environmental health and amenities, among others.

The decision to invest in a new system was made by Redditch on the grounds that support for its existing system was becoming less reliable and that advances in technology had left the old system lacking in terms of the ability for new applications required by the Council’s various departments to be successfully developed and deployed.

Integrated CAD and GIS

For the systems evaluation and selection process, which was undertaken with the aid of GIS consultants Terraquest, Redditch had a number of objectives which any new system needed to satisfy. In addition to the ability to interface to the Council existing Reality database and to provide an up-to-date applications development environment, the new system also needed to provide comprehensive detail drafting facilities as well as the expected digital mapping and GIS capabilities.

Rob Seager, Redditch Borough Council systems development advisor, explains, “we didn’t want to have two separate systems - one for mapping and GIS applications for planning, land charges, building control and estates management etc. and another for CAD applications for civil engineering works and the like. It was important that any new system should be capable of delivering both of these requirements in a fully integrated manner.”

Cadcorp SIS was selected on the basis of its ability to satisfy all of these objectives and MIS Computer Consultants - a Cadcorp value-added reseller - were selected to supply and implement the links to the Reality database system. Meanwhile, Oxford Data Capture was contracted to carry out data conversion from the old system and to deliver the data back as a new Cadcorp SIS database.

Benefits now and to come

The new system is now up and running in a number of departments. For example, it is used in the planning department for the processing of planning applications, using a gazateer program developed jointly by Cadcorp and MIS for access to the Reality database. In the estates department it is used for property management, in terms of checking for ownership and rents etc., while in the engineering department it is used to produce engineering drawings and contract information for civil engineering works.

Already, the Council is seeing major benefits. These include considerably faster processing of planning applications, easier access to existing information held in the Reality database and better presentation of information to the public and councillors. In addition, the maintenance and production of maps and drawings is now automated, making it much easier and quicker.

With the benefits of their experience so far, the system is now being further developed to encompass building control, land charges, the production of contract drawings for environmental services such as cleansing and the management and maintenance of Council-owned amenities such as playing fields, woodland and other areas.

But Redditch Borough Council’s ambitions for the new system don’t stop there. As Rob Seager explains, “eventually we want to develop the system into a management tool which can be used, for example, to examine the levels and types of work the various departments undertake or to determine and track how many complaints are received and about what. We also want to use it to provide a one-stop-shop facility for the public to make their own enquiries, about a planning application for instance, by placing a PC connected to the GIS database in the Council offices reception area.”

About Redditch Borough Council

Situated in rural Worcestershire and officially designated a new town, Redditch covers an area of 54.26 sq. km. Although a mainly urban area, with a population of 78,000, it includes a number of parks, playing fields and other open spaces to cater for the leisure requirements of its people and boasts several successful national and international businesses.

About Cadcorp

Established in 1991, Cadcorp is a leading developer of digital mapping and geographic information systems (GIS) software. Based in the UK, with offices in the USA, Cadcorp’s distribution and VAR network stretches world-wide. The company plays a pivotal technical role in the OpenGIS Consortium.

Cadcorp SIS (Spatial Information System) is a range of software modules covering spatial data viewing, data management, data editing, data modelling and analysis. Cadcorp SIS Active X components are available for embedding into third party systems. Cadcorp ASC is an Internet/intranet developer toolkit designed for Web based GIS solutions.

Cadcorp SIS applications exist in local government, emergency services, mapping and surveying, commerce, broadcasting and many other areas.

ENDS

For further information and pictures, contact: Chris Holcroft at Cadcorp, Tel: 01438 747996, e-mail: chrish@cadcorp.com

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