From keeping transport moving to keeping the lights on across the country, water flowing and internet connections switched firmly on; our national infrastructure is a vital part of meeting our expectations for these everyday amenities.
It is critical that this infrastructure is continuously optimised to ensure it is not only well designed, but affordable for both the government and the general public.
By identifying improvements in the way in which national infrastructure is planned, there is huge potential to progress the way we build and manage utilising location data.
Underpinning this aim to realise some of these identified improvements, better mapping of underground assets commenced with the Geospatial Commission’s launch of its National Underground Asset Register (NUAR) in 2019.
By collating information about buried utility assets such as cables, pipes, sewers and ducts – essential information for every construction and infrastructure project when preparing ground investigation and excavation work – in one centralised resource, we can streamline multiple data sources and formats from different organisations.
The National Underground Assets Register (NUAR) pilot aims to increase the government’s understanding of how national infrastructure should be designed, managed and rolled out, whilst simultaneously unlocking the significant economic, social and environmental opportunities offered by location data – providing a digital map to boost the UK’s global geospatial expertise.
Along with the Geospatial Commission and other pilot organisations, Sunderland City Council celebrates NUAR’s successful 12-month pilot phase (that ended in April 2020), as well as celebrating NUAR’s shortlisting for a Digital Leaders cross sector digital collaboration award: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/national-underground-asset-register-project-update
Click here to download the National Underground Asset Register – Project Update.