The Access Network Map of England is a national composite dataset of Access layers, showing analysis of extent of Access provision for each Lower Super Output Area (LSOA), as a percentage or area coverage of access in England. The ‘Access Network Map’ was developed by Natural England to inform its work to improve opportunities for people to enjoy the natural environment. This map shows, across England, the relative abundance of accessible land in relation to where people live. Due to issues explained below, the map does not, and cannot, provide a definitive statement of where intervention is necessary. Rather, it should be used to identify areas of interest which require further exploration. Natural England believes that places where people can enjoy the natural environment should be improved and created where they are most wanted. Access Network Maps help support this work by providing means to assess the amount of accessible land available in relation to where people live. They combine all the available good quality data on access provision into a single dataset and relate this to population. This provides a common foundation for regional and national teams to use when targeting resources to improve public access to greenspace, or projects that rely on this resource. The Access Network Maps are compiled from the datasets available to Natural England which contain robust, nationally consistent data on land and routes that are normally available to the public and are free of charge. Datasets contained in the aggregated data:•
Agri-environment scheme permissive access (routes and open access)•
CROW access land (including registered common land and Section 16)•
Country Parks•
Cycleways (Sustrans Routes) including Local/Regional/National and Link Routes•
Doorstep Greens•
Local Nature Reserves•
Millennium Greens•
National Nature Reserves (accessible sites only)•
National Trails•
Public Rights of Way•
Forestry Commission ‘Woods for People’ data•
Village Greens – point data only Due to the quantity and complexity of data used, it is not possible to display clearly on a single map the precise boundary of accessible land for all areas. We therefore selected a unit which would be clearly visible at a variety of scales and calculated the total area (in hectares) of accessible land in each. The units we selected are ‘Lower Super Output Areas’ (LSOAs), which represent where approximately 1,500 people live based on postcode. To calculate the total area of accessible land for each we gave the linear routes a notional width of 3 metres so they could be measured in hectares. We then combined together all the datasets and calculated the total hectares of accessible land in each LSOA. For further information about this data see the following links:Access Network Mapping GuidanceAccess Network Mapping Metadata Full metadata can be viewed on data.gov.uk.

A PDF map that shows the counties and unitary authorities in the United Kingdom as at 1 April 2023. (File Size - 583 KB)

Living England is a multi-year project which delivers a broad habitat map for the whole of England, created using satellite imagery, field data records and other geospatial data in a machine learning framework. The Living England habitat map shows the extent and distribution of broad habitats across England aligned to the UKBAP classification, providing a valuable insight into our natural capital assets and helping to inform land management decisions. Living England is a project within Natural England, funded by and supports the Defra Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (NCEA) Programme and Environmental Land Management (ELM) Schemes to provide an openly available national map of broad habitats across England.This dataset includes very complex geometry with a large number of features so it has a default viewing distance set to 1:80,000 (City in the map viewer).Process Description:A number of data layers are used to develop a ground dataset of habitat reference data, which are then used to inform a machine-learning model and spatial analyses to generate a map of the likely locations and distributions of habitats across England. The main source data layers underpinning the spatial framework and models are Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-1 satellite data from the ESA Copernicus programme, Lidar from the EA's national Lidar Programme and collected data through the project's national survey programme. Additional datasets informing the approach as detailed below and outlined in the accompanying technical user guide.Datasets used:OS MasterMap® Topography Layer; Geology aka BGS Bedrock Mapping 1:50k; Long Term Monitoring Network; Uplands Inventory; Coastal Dune Geomatics Mapping Ground Truthing; Crop Map of England (RPA) CROME; Lowland Heathland Survey; National Grassland Survey; National Plant Monitoring Scheme; NE field Unit Surveys; Northumberland Border Mires Survey; Sentinel-2 multispectral imagery; Sentinel-1 backscatter imagery; Sentinel-1 single look complex (SLC) imagery; National forest inventory (NFI); Cranfield NATMAP; Agri-Environment HLS Monitoring; Living England desktop validation; Priority Habitat Inventory; Space2 Eye Lens: Ainsdale NNR, State of the Bog Bowland Survey, State of the Bog Dark Peak Condition Survey, State of the Bog Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) Mountain Hare Habitat Survey Dark Peak, State of the Bog; Moors for the Future Dark Peak Survey; West Pennines Designation NVC Survey; Wetland Annex 1 inventory; Soils-BGS Soil Parent Material; Met Office HadUK gridded climate product; Saltmarsh Extent and Zonation; EA LiDAR DSM & DTM; New Forest Mires Wetland Survey; New Forest Mires Wetland Survey; West Cumbria Mires Survey; England Peat Map Vegetation Surveys; NE protected sites monitoring; ERA5; OS Open Built-up Areas; OS Boundaries dataset; EA IHM (Integrated height model) DTM; OS VectorMap District; EA Coastal Flood Boundary: Extreme Sea Levels; AIMS Spatial Sea Defences; LIDAR Sand Dunes 2022; EA Coastal saltmarsh species surveys; Aerial Photography GB (APGB); NASA SRT (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission) M30; Provisional Agricultural Land Classification; Renewable Energy Planning Database (REPD); Open Street Map 2024.Attribute descriptions: Column Heading Full Name Format Description

SegID SegID Character (100) Unique Living England segment identifier. Format is LEZZZZ_BGZXX_YYYYYYY where Z = release year (2223 for this version), X = BGZ and Y = Unique 7-digit number

Prmry_H Primary_Habitat Date Primary Living England Habitat

Relblty Reliability
Character (12) Reliability Metric Score

Mdl_Hbs Model_Habs Interger List of likely habitats output by the Random Forest model.

Mdl_Prb Model_Probs Double (6,2) List of probabilities for habitats listed in ‘Model_Habs’, calculated by the Random Forest model.

Mixd_Sg Mixed_Segment Character (50) Indication of the likelihood a segment contains a mixture of dominant habitats. Either Unlikely or Probable.

Source Source

Description of how the habitat classification was derived. Options are: Random Forest; Vector OSMM Urban; Vector Classified OS Water; Vector EA saltmarsh; LE saltmarsh & QA; Vector RPA Crome, ALC grades 1-4; Vector LE Bare Ground Analysis; LE QA Adjusted

SorcRsn Source_Reason

Reasoning for habitat class adjustment if ‘Source’ equals ‘LE QA Adjusted’

Shap_Ar Shape_Area

Segment area (m2) Full metadata can be viewed on data.gov.uk.

An ARC GIS PRO shapefile mapping the turnpike roads in England and Wales for the 18th and early 19th century. The data includes details of the Turnpike Acts, years of operation, the quality of the road and the routes used by Mail coaches. The data forms the basis of the paper "Government, trusts, and the making of better roads in early nineteenth century England & Wales by Rosevear, Bogart & Shaw-Taylor.

This dataset is refreshed on a weekly basis from the datasets the team works on daily.Last update date: 20 November 2025.National Highways Operational Highway Boundary (RedLine) maps out the land belonging to the highway for the whole Strategic Road Network (SRN). It comprises two layers; one being the an outline and another showing the registration status / category of land of land that makes up the boundary. Due to the process involved in creating junctions with local highway authority (LHA) roads, land in this dataset may represent LHA highway (owned by National Highways but the responsibility of the LHA to maintain). Surplus land or land held for future projects does not form part of this dataset.The highway boundary is derived from:Ordnance Survey Mastermap Topography,HM Land Registry National Polygon Service (National Highway titles only), andplots researched and digitised during the course of the RedLine Boundary Project.The boundary is split into categories describing the decisions made for particular plots of land. These categories are as follows:Auto-RedLine category is for plots created from an automated process using Ordnance Survey MasterMap Topography as a base. Land is not registered under National Highways' name. For example, but not limited to, unregistered ‘ancient’ highway vested in Highways England, or bridge carrying highways over a rail line.NH Title within RedLine category is for plots created from Land Registry Cadastral parcels whose proprietor is National Highways or a predecessor. Land in this category is within the highway boundary (audited) or meets a certain threshold by the algorithm.NH Title outside RedLine category is for plots created in the same way as above but these areas are thought to be outside the highway boundary. Where the Confidence is Low, land in this category is yet to be audited. Where the Confidence is High, land in this category has been reviewed and audited as outside our operational boundary.National Highways (Technician) Data category is for plots created by National Highways, digitised land parcels relating to highway land that is not registered, not yet registered or un-registerable.Road in Tunnel category, created using tunnel outlines from Ordnance Survey MasterMap Topography data. These represent tunnels on Highways England’s network. Land is not registered under National Highways' name, but land above the tunnel may be in National Highways’ title. Please refer to the definitive land ownership records held at HM Land Registry.The process attribute details how the decision was made for the particular plot of land. These are as follows:Automated category denotes data produced by an automated process. These areas are yet to be audited by the company.Audited category denotes data that has been audited by the company.Technician Data (Awaiting Audit) category denotes data that was created by National Highways but is yet to be audited and confirmed as final.The confidence attribute details how confident you can be in the decision. This attribute is derived from both the decisions made during the building of the underlying automated dataset as well as whether the section has been researched and/or audited by National Highways staff. These are as follows:High category denotes land that has a high probability of being within the RedLine boundary. These areas typically are audited or are features that are close to or on the highway.Moderate category denotes land that is likely to be within the highway boundary but is subject to change once the area has been audited.Low category denotes land that is less likely to be within the highway boundary. These plots typically represent Highways England registered land that the automated process has marked as outside the highway boundary.Please note that this dataset is indicative only. For queries about this dataset please contact the GIS and Research Team.

Statutory Main Rivers Map is a spatial (polyline) dataset that defines statutory watercourses in England designated as Main Rivers by the Environment Agency.

Watercourses designated as ‘main river’ are generally the larger arterial watercourses. The Environment Agency has permissive powers, but not a duty, to carry out maintenance, improvement or construction work on designated main rivers.

All other open water courses in England are determined by statute as an ‘ordinary watercourse’. On these watercourses the Lead Local flood Authority or, if within an Internal Drainage District, the Internal Drainage Board have similar permissive powers to maintain and improve.

Explore the interactive maps showing the average delay and average speed on the Strategic Road Network and local ‘A’ roads in England, in 2022.

On the Strategic Road Network (SRN) for 2022, the average delay is estimated to be 9.3 seconds per vehicle per mile (spvpm), compared to free flow, a 9.4% increase on 2021 and a 2.1% decrease on 2019.

The average speed is estimated to be 58.1 mph, down 1.4% from 2021 and up 0.2% from 2019.

On local ‘A’ roads for 2022, the average delay was estimated to be 45.5 seconds per vehicle per mile compared to free flow, up 2.5% from 2021 and down 2.8% from 2019 (pre-coronavirus)

The average speed is estimated to be 23.7 mph, down 1.7% from 2021 and up 2.2% from 2019 (pre-coronavirus).

Average speeds in 2022 have stabilised towards similar trends observed before the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

The outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) has had a marked impact on everyday life, including on congestion on the road network. As some of these data are affected by the coronavirus pandemic in the UK, caution should be taken when interpreting these statistics and comparing them with other time periods. Additional http://bit.ly/COVID_Congestion_Analysis">analysis on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on road journeys in 2020 is also available. This Storymap contains charts and interactive maps for road journeys in England in 2020.

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OpenStreetMap (openstreetmap.org) is a global collaborative mapping project, which offers maps and map data released with an open license, encouraging free re-use and re-distribution. The data is created by a large community of volunteers who use a variety of simple on-the-ground surveying techniques, and wiki-syle editing tools to collaborate as they create the maps, in a process which is open to everyone. The project originated in London, and an active community of mappers and developers are based here. Mapping work in London is ongoing (and you can help!) but the coverage is already good enough for many uses. Browse the map of London on OpenStreetMap.org Downloads: The whole of England updated daily: england.osm.bz2 ~185M - .osm formatted raw XML data (compressed) england.shp.zip ~156M - ESRI shapefiles For more details of downloads available from OpenStreetMap, including downloading the whole planet, see 'planet.osm' on the wiki. Data access APIs: Download small areas of the map by bounding-box. For example this URL requests the data around Trafalgar Square: http://api.openstreetmap.org/api/0.6/map?bbox=-0.13062,51.5065,-0.12557,51.50969 Data filtered by "tag". For example this URL returns all elements in London tagged shop=supermarket: http://www.informationfreeway.org/api/0.6/*[shop=supermarket][bbox=-0.48,51.30,0.21,51.70] The .osm format The format of the data is a raw XML represention of all the elements making up the map. OpenStreetMap is composed of interconnected "nodes" and "ways" (and sometimes "relations") each with a set of name=value pairs called "tags". These classify and describe properties of the elements, and ultimately influence how they get drawn on the map. To understand more about tags, and different ways of working with this data format refer to the following pages on the OpenStreetMap wiki.

Explore the interactive maps showing the average delay and average speed on the Strategic Road Network and Local ‘A’ Roads in England, in 2020.

Additional http://bit.ly/COVID_Congestion_Analysis" class="govuk-link">Analysis on the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the road journeys is also available. This story map contains charts and interactive maps for road journeys in England.

On the Strategic Road Network (SRN) for 2020, the average delay is estimated to be 6.7 seconds per vehicle per mile compared to speed limits travel times, a 29.5% decrease compared to 2019.

The average speed is estimated to be 61.8mph, 5.1% up on 2019.

In 2020, on average 42.1% of additional time was needed compared to speed limits travel times, on individual road sections of the SRN to ensure on time arrival. This is down 25.2 percentage points compared to 2019, so on average a lower proportion of additional time is required.

On local ‘A’ roads for 2020, the average delay is estimated to be 33.9 seconds per vehicle per mile compared to free flow travel times. This is a decrease of 22.8% on 2019.

The average speed is estimated to be 27.3 mph. This is an increase of 8.2% on 2019.

The outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) has had a marked impact on everyday life, including on congestion on the road network. As these data are affected by the coronavirus pandemic in the UK, caution should be taken when interpreting these statistics and comparing them with previous time periods. While values had previously been moving towards their pre-lockdown levels, this trend appears to have reversed in the months following September 2020.

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The Flood Map for Planning Service includes several layers of information. This includes the Flood Zones data which shows the extent of land at present day risk of flooding from rivers and the sea, ignoring the benefits of defences, for the following scenarios:

• Flood Zone 1 – Land having a less than 0.1% (1 in 1000) annual probability of flooding. • Flood Zone 2 – Land having between 0.1% - 1% (1 in 100 to 1 in 1000) annual probability of flooding from rivers or between 0.1% - 0.5% (1 in 200 to 1 in 1000) annual probability of flooding from the sea, and accepted recorded flood outlines . • Flood Zone 3 – Areas shown to be at a 1% (1 in 100) or greater annual probability of flooding from rivers or 0.5% (1 in 200) or greater annual probability of flooding from the sea.

Flood Zone 1 is not shown in this dataset, but covers all areas not contained within Flood Zones 2 and 3. Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) use the Flood Zones to determine if they must consult the Environment Agency on planning applications. They are also used to determine if development is incompatible and whether development is subject to the exception test. The Flood Zones are one of several flood risk datasets used to determine the need for planning applications to be supported by a Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) and subject to the sequential test.

The Flood Zones are a composite dataset including national and local modelled data, and information from past floods.

The Flood Zones are designed to only give an indication of flood risk to an area of land and are not suitable for showing whether an individual property is at risk of flooding. This is because we cannot know all the details about each property.

Users of these datasets should always check they are suitable for the intended use

The England Peat Map is a map of England's peaty soils. It models the extent, depth, and condition of our peat including vegetation and upland peat erosion & drainage features (grips, gullies, bare peat and peat hagging). See NERR149 England Peat Map Final Report, Natural England, 2025. The map and, where possible, the associated data, are available openly and free to use for any purpose. This map is funded by the Nature for Climate Fund and the Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (NCEA) programme, both part of the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). Attribution statement: © Copyright/Database right Natural England 2025. Contains data © various rights holders - see EPM data catalogue

Provisional Agricultural Land Classification Grade. Agricultural land classified into five grades. Grade one is best quality and grade five is poorest quality. A number of consistent criteria used for assessment which include climate (temperature, rainfall, aspect, exposure, frost risk), site (gradient, micro-relief, flood risk) and soil (depth, structure, texture, chemicals, stoniness) for England only. Digitised from the published 1:250,000 map which was in turn compiled from the 1 inch to the mile maps.More information about the Agricultural Land Classification can be found at the following links:http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130402200910/http://archive.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/landmanage/land-use/documents/alc-guidelines-1988.pdfhttp://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/35012.Full metadata can be viewed on data.gov.uk.

A PDF map that shows the Regions in England, as at December 2017. (File Size - 226 KB)

The England Peat Map is a map of England's peaty soils. It models the extent, depth, and condition of our peat including vegetation and upland peat erosion & drainage features (grips, gullies, bare peat and peat hagging). The map and, where possible, the associated data, are available openly and free to use for any purpose. This map is funded by the Nature for Climate Fund and the Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (NCEA) programme, both part of the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The map layers were created using machine learning and deep learning modelling techniques, trained with pre-existing survey data collated from Defra organisations and other stakeholders, as well as new survey data collected by contractors and quality-assured by an in-house team. Predictor data used in the modelling process included national-scale satellite imagery, topographic LiDAR, geological and historic land-use data. Data collated from multiple sources and collated by the England Peat Map project. See NERR149 England Peat Map Final Report Annex 5 for more information. Collated and combined vegetation survey data from EPM and non-EPM sources. One feature per quadrat, with class values assigned. Full metadata can be viewed on environment.data.gov.uk.

The England Peat Map is a map of England's peaty soils. It models the extent, depth, and condition of our peat including vegetation and upland peat erosion & drainage features (grips, gullies, bare peat and peat hagging). The map and, where possible, the associated data, are available openly and free to use for any purpose.

This map is funded by the Nature for Climate Fund and the Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (NCEA) programme, both part of the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

The map layers were created using machine learning and deep learning modelling techniques, trained with pre-existing survey data collated from Defra organisations and other stakeholders, as well as new survey data collected by contractors and quality-assured by an in-house team. Predictor data used in the modelling process included national-scale satellite imagery, topographic LiDAR, geological and historic land-use data. Data collated from multiple sources and collated by the England Peat Map project. See NERR149 England Peat Map Final Report Annex 5 for more information.

England Peat Map predicted depth of peaty soils modelled in 2025 and Confidence in the England Peat Map depth prediction on a 10m by 10m square basis. Confidence is measured by root mean square deviation.

Data from the British Geological Survey's GeoIndex Map products theme are made available for viewing here. GeoIndex is a website that allows users to search for information about BGS data collections covering the UK and other areas world wide. Access is free, the interface is easy to use, and it has been developed to enable users to check coverage of different types of data and find out some background information about the data. More detailed information can be obtained by further enquiry via the web site: www.bgs.ac.uk/geoindex.

Using a range of different data sources Natural England has collated a map showing the extent of peatlands in England. For the purposes of this project, peatlands have been classified into three types based on the source of the information but assumed to have the following general characteristics:■ Deep peaty soils: Areas covered with a majority of peat >40cm deep.■ Shallow peaty soils: Areas with a majority of soils with peat 10–40cm deep.■ Soils with peaty pockets: Areas of mostly non-peat soils, supporting smaller pockets of deep peat (such as flushes or exposures of buried peat) too small to map at a national scale.Reported in Natural England's publication England's Peatland - carbon storage and greenhouse gases (NE257).We have have shared this data with permission from Natural England. You can request a download of the full dataset from enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk. It is available free of charge for non-commercial purposes. If you want to use the data for a Commercial purpose you must obtain a licence from Natural England.

Defra has published strategic noise map data that give a snapshot of the estimated noise from major road and rail sources across England in 2017. The data was developed as part of implementing the Environmental Noise Directive.

This publication explains which noise sources were included in 2017 strategic noise mapping process. It provides summary maps for major road and rail sources and provides links to the detailed Geographic Information Systems (GIS) noise datasets.

This data will help transport authorities to better identify and prioritise relevant local action on noise. It will also be useful for planners, academics and others working to assess noise and its impacts.

Noise mapping Geographic Information Systems (GIS) datasets

Rail noise

• https://environment.data.gov.uk/dataset/5836745c-4e11-4767-94a5-2656f82e01a3">Laeq 16h: indicates the annual average noise levels for the 16-hour period between 0700 – 2300

• https://environment.data.gov.uk/dataset/e8e78e12-9297-450b-b875-e0523cb3c9ea">Lden: indicates a 24 hour annual average noise level with separate weightings for the evening and night periods

• https://environment.data.gov.uk/dataset/f6c0e3b6-3186-4d0a-b0e7-ca32bfb6573f">Lnight: indicates night time annual average noise level results in dB, where night is defined as 2300 - 0700

Road Noise

• https://environment.data.gov.uk/dataset/b9c6bf30-a02d-4378-94a0-2982de1bef86">Laeq 16h: indicates the annual average noise levels for the 16-hour period between 0700 – 2300

• https://environment.data.gov.uk/dataset/fd1c6327-ad77-42ae-a761-7c6a0866523d">Lden: indicates a 24 hour annual average noise level with separate weightings for the evening and night periods.

• https://environment.data.gov.uk/dataset/cc48e728-602a-4e8a-9221-49f661ab58f8">Lnight: indicates night time annual average noise level results in dB, where night is defined as 2300 - 0700

Other

• https://environment.data.gov.uk/dataset/4739c0c3-e800-4cb1-89cd-e71115b191e9">Agglomerations: urban areas Defra is required to undertake strategic noise mapping
• https://environment.data.gov.uk/dataset/55cdd950-fd18-421a-affd-130d659dc6fd">Noise action planning important areas: provide a framework for the local management of the Important Areas.

Noise exposure data

We’ve published data which shows the estimated number of people affected by noise from road traffic, railway and industrial sources.

• https://data.gov.uk/dataset/d461bbc1-eb51-4852-8a9a-45dbf28aa230/noise-exposure-data-round-3">Noise exposure data