Portfolio https://www.esdm.co.uk/portfolio http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification mojoPortal Blog Module en-GB 120 no Managing Common Land and Village Greens using CAMS Common LandPowys Council had been using CAMS to manage their public Rights of Way for some time. They wanted to update their Commons Register into a digital format and approached Exegesis to incorporate the data they hold on the Commons & Village Greens into CAMS.

Under the Commons Registration Act 1965, the Council is obliged to maintain a register of all the areas registered as Common Land or as Town or Village Greens, along with details of ownership, rights holders and rights particulars. Managing these data in CAMS allowed integration of the map features for the commons & greens with their database records, something that had not previously been possible. For the first time it enabled users to view a common and all its associated tenements (land holdings with rights over the common) with one click. In addition, holding all the data within CAMS makes it easily available and searchable to a wider range of users.

Exegesis developed a new CAMS module to manage the Common land and Village Green Register, allowing users to easily find information on a range of criteria, such as "who has rights on this common?" or "which commons does this farm have rights over?", and easily keep on top of the day-to-day management of the data. The new Commons module handles all the data from the Commons Register and enables easy production of the hard-copy register sheets as well as various application forms and reports. In addition, tools in the Commons Module assist users with the process of reapportioning tenements when properties change hands.

Further information from Timothy Derbyshire


Timothy Derbyshire]]>
https://www.esdm.co.uk/managing-common-land-and-village-greens-using-cams https://www.esdm.co.uk/managing-common-land-and-village-greens-using-cams https://www.esdm.co.uk/managing-common-land-and-village-greens-using-cams Fri, 04 May 2018 09:14:00 GMT
Wrexham CAMS Mobile Survey Wrexham CAMS Mobile SurveyWrexham County Borough Council approached exeGesIS to carry out a 16% random sample survey of their rights of way network in order for them to gain an impression of the overall condition of their network. As our CAMS Mobile product was being warmly received by several authorities, we decided that this would be the right opportunity for its first use on a larger scale structured survey.

The surveyor found the system easy to use in the field, and was impressed with the performance, GPS response and camera quality in the tablet. The 16% survey equated to about 140km of public rights of way, and this was completed in the field in just a couple of weeks.

After the fieldwork was successfully completed, the data were synchronised into the authority's CAMS system, allowing them to generate reports and plan for the future maintenance of the network.

Further information from Timothy Derbyshire


Timothy Derbyshire]]>
https://www.esdm.co.uk/wrexham-cams-mobile-survey https://www.esdm.co.uk/wrexham-cams-mobile-survey https://www.esdm.co.uk/wrexham-cams-mobile-survey Fri, 11 Nov 2016 11:54:00 GMT
Managing a Commons and Village Greens Registry Managing Commons and Village Greens in CAMSThere are 11,407 hectares of common land in Ceredigion. On these, commoners exercise their right to fish, graze livestock or gather materials such as wood or bracken. There are also 18 town or village greens. These are used by local inhabitants for the exercise of lawful sports and pastimes. 

Under the Commons Registration Act 1965, the Council is obliged to hold a record of these sites and associated rights. Countryside Access Management System (CAMS) allows officers to map all the sites and maintain accurate data about the sites, their landowners and rights holders.

Because the system is shared with Rights of Way staff users can see which Rights of Way traverse each Common or Village Green, allowing for a more integrated site and ROW management to be applied.

Further information from Simon Allen.


Simon Allen]]>
https://www.esdm.co.uk/managing-a-commons-and-village-greens-registry https://www.esdm.co.uk/managing-a-commons-and-village-greens-registry https://www.esdm.co.uk/managing-a-commons-and-village-greens-registry Fri, 29 Apr 2016 13:29:00 GMT
Survey of a new footpath with high precision GPS Precision GPS SurveyPembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority had a new footpath dedicated by a landowner. It was necessary to capture the precise line of the path on the ground using GPS to add the route to their digital Definitive Map, held in their CAMS application.

The site of the path was steeply sloping with significant vegetation cover, making it difficult for standard GPS receivers to get an accurate fix.

Working with the National Park authority, exeGesIS used high-precision GPS equipment to mark the line of the path, achieving sub-metre accuracy. These GPS data were used to create a map layer that could be incorporated into the authority's CAMS and GIS applications.

Further information from Timothy Derbyshire.


Timothy Derbyshire]]>
https://www.esdm.co.uk/survey-of-a-new-footpath-with-high-precision-gps https://www.esdm.co.uk/survey-of-a-new-footpath-with-high-precision-gps https://www.esdm.co.uk/survey-of-a-new-footpath-with-high-precision-gps Fri, 22 Apr 2016 11:48:00 GMT
Powys Section 31(6) Deposit Digitisation Section 31(6) DepositIn order to meet Welsh Government requirements for planning application searches Powys County Council required their Section 31(6) deposits to be available as digital data. Exegesis SDM were contracted to create a digital layer and associated scanned deposit documents.

Each of the statements and statutory declaration documents relating to a Section 31(6) Deposit was scanned into a separate PDF document. The boundary of each deposit was then digitised, with multiple boundaries created if the boundary changed between statements / statutory declarations. 

The digitised boundaries were then linked to the associated attribute data to produce a digital layer so that Powys staff can undertake spatial searches to check whether a planning application is affected by Section 31(6) deposits.

Further information from Claire Lush


Claire Lush]]>
https://www.esdm.co.uk/powys-section-316-deposit-digitisation https://www.esdm.co.uk/powys-section-316-deposit-digitisation https://www.esdm.co.uk/powys-section-316-deposit-digitisation Wed, 02 Mar 2016 11:38:00 GMT
Powys Definitive Map Digitisation - Breconshire/Radnorshire

Powys Definitve Map update project: Offa's Dyke footpathThe definitive map data relating to rights of way in Breconshire and Radnorshire was out of date, and exeGesIS was asked to assist Powys County  Council with two project to update and correct this data for Breconshire and Radnorshire, using data from multiple sources to do so.

The data included Path Legal Order Plans, the latest Definitive Maps for Breconshire and Radnorshire, OS County Series maps and the Definitive Statements for the paths, as well as modern digital mapping such as the Ordnance Survey VectorMap Local data.

The first stage of the project was to scan and register the Definitive Map sheets and the Order Plans so that the base mapping could be compared to VectorMap Local. Direct tracing of the routes from the Definitive Map scans was not practical, as OS positional accuracy improvements have altered the spatial location of the base mapping, so the maps had to be interpreted by the digitisers to plot the routes against the VectorMap Local cartography.

Next, the changes made by the Legal Orders had to be applied to the digitised network to bring it up to date. This included large orders that came into force when major new roads were built, such as the A470 Bypass, as well as smaller scale orders. The result from this was a digitised network which accurately reflected the Definitive Maps, as amended by all the subsequent Legal Orders.

As part of the process, anomalies that could not be corrected were highlighted to the officers at Powys County Council. These included things like developments built across the Rights of Way of which the authority had not been informed.

This project gave the RoW team at Powys County Council an accurate, up to date digital mapping layer of their rights of way for Breconshire and Radnorshire. A future project is planned to integrate all of this data, together with existing Rights of Way data for Montgomeryshire, back into their CAMS system and link all of the associated Legal Orders using LibraryLink.

For further details please contact Claire Lush or Simon Allen.


Claire Lush]]>
https://www.esdm.co.uk/powys-definitive-map-digitisation-breconshireradnorshire https://www.esdm.co.uk/powys-definitive-map-digitisation-breconshireradnorshire https://www.esdm.co.uk/powys-definitive-map-digitisation-breconshireradnorshire Mon, 29 Feb 2016 12:23:00 GMT
Kintyre Way: Survey and CAMS Provision The Kintyre Way is a long-distance trail around the Kintyre Peninsula in Scotland, managed by a partnership of Argyll & Bute Council and The Long and Winding Way organisation. In 2013, exeGesIS were asked to help set up a management system for the trail, which included installing and configuring Countryside Access Management System (CAMS) software and providing training to the users. In addition, a full baseline survey was carried out, with exeGesIS supplying the equipment and providing support to the surveyor.

The data collected in the field, in common with other rights of way surveys carried out by exeGesIS, included locations and details of all the furniture items along the trail and any problems that required work to be carried out, along with photographs. These data were processed into the CAMS used by the Kintyre Way managers, and also into the separate CAMS used by the team in Argyll & Bute Council.

The Kintyre WayTraining was then provided to all the users in the council offices in Lochgilphead, to maximise the benefit that both teams could get the from the data collected. In addition, reports were developed to the users’ requirements so that the data could be presented to other interested parties. This work provided the managers of the Kintyre Way with a means to not only identify where work was needed, but also to prioritise that work and to inform local interest groups of the improvements made to the trail.

Further information from Timothy Derbyshire.


Timothy Derbyshire]]>
https://www.esdm.co.uk/kintyre-way-survey-and-cams-provision https://www.esdm.co.uk/kintyre-way-survey-and-cams-provision https://www.esdm.co.uk/kintyre-way-survey-and-cams-provision Thu, 30 Oct 2014 15:26:00 GMT
Developing CAMS Mobile A joint project between Central Bedfordshire and exeGesIS led to the emergence of a new CAMS product, CAMS Mobile.

The client required an affordable, mobile system for data gathering in the field. A key requirement was the ability to synchronise the data wirelessly with CAMS Desktop in the office from anywhere at any time.

CAMS Mobile in the field

CAMS Mobile gives you:

  • Live data collection in the field
  • Portable, lightweight Smartphone / tablet
  • Fast, accurate GPS
  • Fast, simple recording of data
  • Mapping and intuitive forms
  • In-built camera
  • Seamless data sync 

CAMS Mobile is ideal for:

  • Carrying-out condition surveys
  • Ad hoc recording of work
  • Information resource in your pocket
  • Populating asset registers
  • Recording issues
  • Recording details of site visits

Download a flyer. Further information is available from Simon Allen.


Simon Allen]]>
https://www.esdm.co.uk/developing-cams-mobile https://www.esdm.co.uk/developing-cams-mobile https://www.esdm.co.uk/developing-cams-mobile Sun, 31 Aug 2014 15:14:00 GMT
Pennine Bridleway Survey Pennine Bridleway Survey for Natural EnglandEarly in 2014, exeGesIS was asked by Natural England to assist in carrying out a baseline survey for the Pennine Bridleway National Trail, the only National Trail designed primarily for equestrian use. The Trail is 330 km long, covering upland terrain through the Pennines, the Dales and the Lake District. Opened in 2012, the Pennine Bridleway was already a popular, if sometimes challenging route for horse riders, cyclists and walkers.

Natural England asked exeGesIS to assist in developing the methodology for the baseline survey, which could then be applied in subsequent years to monitor the condition of the Trail. While Natural England's own surveyors carried out the fieldwork, exeGesIS provided the survey equipment and technical support to the surveyors during the six-week survey period.

The survey produced an inventory of all the assets on the Bridleway, from larger structures like bridges, through to gates, signs and smaller items like water troughs and mounting blocks. Any problems or issues on the trail were recorded, and GPS tracking functionality was used to produce a corrected and updated line of the route. After these data had been collected, exeGesIS produced a corrected map layer of the Trail and analysed and reported on the data collected. The data, including photographs, were loaded into the exeGesIS CAMS software to allow further analysis.

Further information from Timothy Derbyshire.


Timothy Derbyshire]]>
https://www.esdm.co.uk/pennine-bridleway-survey https://www.esdm.co.uk/pennine-bridleway-survey https://www.esdm.co.uk/pennine-bridleway-survey Wed, 02 Apr 2014 09:06:00 GMT
South Downs Survey The South Downs, near Belle Tout LighthouseThe South Downs National Park Authority is responsible, among other things, for the management of two key long-distance trails: the Serpent Trail, approximately 100 km in length, meandering from Haslemere to Petersfield and the 200 km South Downs Way from Beachy Head to Winchester. In early 2014, exeGesIS were asked to complete a full baseline survey of these two trails, capturing information about the assets on the trails (e.g. gates, stiles bridges & signage) and any issues or problems.

The initial stage was to work with the authority to develop a methodology for the survey, deciding what data needed to be collected and what standards should be applied: there is always an element of subjectivity in determining what criteria should be met for an asset to be considered satisfactory, and this was an area where exeGesIS were able to bring considerable experience to bear. Once the methodology was agreed, exeGesIS collated the existing data from the authority and completed preparations for the fieldwork.

The fieldwork was completed in just six weeks by one of exeGesIS’s experienced public rights of way surveyors. This involved the collection of information on over 1,800 assets and over 900 issues, and the capture of more than 3,000 photographs. All of the data were uploaded into the exeGesIS Countryside Access Management System (CAMS) software for analysis and reporting.

In addition to a series of reports, both summary statistics and detail reports, the data collected were loaded into the South Downs National Park Authority’s own CAMS solution, allowing them to interact with the data and carry out their own searching, reporting and analysis. This also provided them with a wealth of information that can be used and updated in their ongoing management of the trails.

Further information from Timothy Derbyshire.


Timothy Derbyshire]]>
https://www.esdm.co.uk/south-downs-survey https://www.esdm.co.uk/south-downs-survey https://www.esdm.co.uk/south-downs-survey Fri, 07 Mar 2014 10:29:00 GMT
Supply of Green Infrastructure monitoring Sustainable Urban Drainage System on a Green Infrastructure siteOne of Natural England’s functions is to work with partner organisations to secure Green Infrastructure (GI). GI can be succinctly defined as semi-natural or designed green areas that are planned to provide ecosystem services, economic growth and quality of life benefits. Natural England has a particular interest in GI that also advances Biodiversity 2020 and the Natural Environment White Paper’s priorities including reconnecting people and nature.

exeGesIS developed a methodology for monitoring GI delivery, making an assessment of the delivery agreement against the GI delivered. This was based upon Natural England's existing Integrated Site Assessment methodology and encompassed ecology, access, green roofs and other aspects of GI delivery. It also allowed users to create bespoke targets against which to assess the site, to allow site-specific features to be considered.

The methodology was tested on four sites in the vicinity of Hull in March 2013 that included a range of features. Targets were established based upon the delivery agreements for each site, against which the sites were assessed. Any targets that were not met were identified and discussed.

This work was further developed in a second contract. We facilitated a workshop to focus Natural England's requirements for the survey methodology and, using consensus building techniques, agreed a reduction in the number of assessed features to make the methodology more user friendly. We then redeveloped the survey form, consulting further with Natural England to ensure the survey was suitable to the target audience and easy to use. We also wrote a comprehensive survey handbook to be used alongside the survey form.

The work was documented in a report to Natural England that covered the methodology development, selection of survey sites, results, redevelopment of the methodology, an assessment of the appropriateness of the methodology and recommendations for further development.

Further information from Mike Lush.


Mike Lush]]>
https://www.esdm.co.uk/supply-of-green-infrastructure-monitoring https://www.esdm.co.uk/supply-of-green-infrastructure-monitoring https://www.esdm.co.uk/supply-of-green-infrastructure-monitoring Sun, 17 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT
Bristol City Rights of Way Survey Over many years, Bristol City Council had collected a large amount of information relating to the assets on their Rights of Way network, but these data varied in their age. In order to bring the entire dataset up to date, exeGesIS were asked to complete a full resurvey of the network. Nevertheless, some of the existing data were still relevant and included information that could not easily be captured by survey in the field, so it was important that none of this was lost.

Bristol Rights of Way SurveyexeGesIS worked with Bristol City Council to develop the methodology for the survey. We then used our Path Surveyor application to complete the survey, loading all the existing data onto handheld devices so that they were visible to the surveyor in the field. This enabled the surveyor to see what information already existed, update data on existing features where it was out of date and capture new features from scratch. This was done whilst retaining information that was still relevant.

A particular requirement for this survey was the capture of photographs for all features, not only for all furniture items (both new and existing) and for all issues, but also general photographs of the paths were required as well. These photos were captured on survey and processed via Field Data Manger into LibraryLink, where they are visible from the Council’s CAMS application.

Further information from Timothy Derbyshire.


Timothy Derbyshire]]>
https://www.esdm.co.uk/bristol-city-rights-of-way-survey https://www.esdm.co.uk/bristol-city-rights-of-way-survey https://www.esdm.co.uk/bristol-city-rights-of-way-survey Fri, 15 Mar 2013 16:52:00 GMT
Wales Coast Path Condition Survey Photo of Ceredigion Coast, part of the Wales Coast Path (Photo: PB)Following a successful pilot survey in 2011 which defined a methodology, Exegesis and Natural Resources Wales (NRW, then the Countryside Council for Wales) worked to complete a full survey of the coastline of Wales (approximately 1,200km) in summer 2012.

In addition to the survey, the actual path line for the Wales Coast Path was digitised and categorised based on BS7666 standards.   

The survey was completed with the goal of providing a summary of the condition of the Wales Coast Path. It was also intended to act as a resource for local authorities responsible for maintaining the path as it passes along the coast.

After the survey all data was made available to NRW via a dedicated data management system. The Wales Coast Path Quality Management System is hosted and supported by Exegesis and available to NRW staff for the purposes of managing the Wales Coast Path.

For more information, please contact Simon Allen


Richard Coppock]]>
https://www.esdm.co.uk/wales-coast-path-condition-survey-2012 https://www.esdm.co.uk/wales-coast-path-condition-survey-2012 https://www.esdm.co.uk/wales-coast-path-condition-survey-2012 Mon, 10 Dec 2012 16:30:00 GMT
Powys Annual BVPI Survey Powys Footpath with Fingerpost SignAs part of their annual maintenance scheme Powys County Council requires a condition survey carried out on a 5% sample of the Rights of Way network, in line with established BVPI (best value performance indicator) standards.

exeGesIS has worked closely with Powys County Council over several years to provide this service. The process involves analysis of the current network’s state to create a 5% sample, preparation and organisation pre-survey plus supplying and supporting the surveyors whilst they are out in the field.

A 5% sample of the Powys Path Network is approximately 420km. exeGesIS surveyors complete this within a few weeks. The data is then processed and imported back into the PCC CAMS and reports are provided to indicate the condition of the network. 

For more information, please contact Simon Allen or Timothy Derbyshire


Richard Coppock]]>
https://www.esdm.co.uk/powys-bvpi-survey https://www.esdm.co.uk/powys-bvpi-survey https://www.esdm.co.uk/powys-bvpi-survey Fri, 30 Nov 2012 10:19:00 GMT
Ramblers Routes Ramblers Routes websiteSince 2009 we have worked with the Ramblers to create a national web-based system for crowd-sourcing and managing high-quality walking routes. The process of developing and checking routes is enjoyed by the volunteer users, and has already built a library of several thousand walking routes. Quality control is ensured by a multi-stage workflow, within which all submitted data is double-checked and authorised before release.

These walks are then published through the main Ramblers web site, with user-friendly route cards and downloadable GPX files, allowing ratings and feedback from walkers.

A web service API also allows the data to be incorporated into other web sites on demand.

Further information from Crispin Flower.


Mike Lush]]>
https://www.esdm.co.uk/ramblers-routes https://www.esdm.co.uk/ramblers-routes https://www.esdm.co.uk/ramblers-routes Mon, 05 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT
Ceredigion Annual BVPI Survey Following the successful survey’s completed on the behalf of Powys County Council, exeGesIS entered into a similar survey project with Ceredigion County Council.

In keeping with established BVPI standards, exeGesIS worked with a team at Ceredigion to analyse and create a 5% sample of the Rights of Way network. A straightforward task when completed within CAMS.

After establishing a sample of approximately 130km in length, exeGesIS provided professional surveyors and completed the fieldwork promptly.

Post survey, exeGesIS analysed the condition data and produced reports to help Ceredigion prioritise their tasks and structure a workplan for the following year.

The raw survey data was also returned to the Ceredigion Rights of Way team and imported into their live CAMS. This allowed them to get up-to-date summaries about any furniture with poor condition or outstanding problems within the network they needed to respond to.

For more information, please contact Simon Allen or Timothy Derbyshire


Richard Coppock]]>
https://www.esdm.co.uk/ceredigion-annual-bvpi-survey https://www.esdm.co.uk/ceredigion-annual-bvpi-survey https://www.esdm.co.uk/ceredigion-annual-bvpi-survey Thu, 13 Sep 2012 10:37:00 GMT
Monmouthshire CAMS Web Monmouthshire CAMS Web is a joint project between exeGesIS and Monmouthshire Council to provide an online copy of their definitive map for members of their authority.

The interactive web map is hosted by exeGesIS.

The web map is used by members of the public to report problems, search for local rights of way and other features of interest nearby. It lets users switch map layers (such as promoted routes or furniture) off and on and search for features on the map using an address or OS grid reference.

It was fully integrated into the existing Monmouthshire Council website. All elements of the design were maintained, in addition to the corporate styling the backend of the site was fully integrated into the existing Monmouthshire system to provide a seamless experience for members of the public and council employees alike.

For more information, please contact Simon Allen.
 

Richard Coppock]]>
https://www.esdm.co.uk/monmouthshire-cams-web https://www.esdm.co.uk/monmouthshire-cams-web https://www.esdm.co.uk/monmouthshire-cams-web Sat, 14 Jul 2012 11:05:00 GMT
Wales Coast Path Digitisation Exegesis worked closely with Natural Resources Wales (formerly CCW) prior to the opening date for the Wales Coast Path to provide a digital copy of the path for reference and release to the public in a variety of formats.

The task required analysing approximately 1500km of path network around the coastline of Wales. A route was supplied by NRW, this was then split and labelled with attributes according to the surface of the path, the requirements of NRW and BS7666 guidelines.

The path was redrafted several times to improve accuracy and reflect changes agreed between landowners and the NRW that occurred during the project. The end result was a path digitised to OS Mastermap data to an accuracy of <5m. 

For more information, please contact Simon Allen


Richard Coppock]]>
https://www.esdm.co.uk/wales-coast-path-digitisation https://www.esdm.co.uk/wales-coast-path-digitisation https://www.esdm.co.uk/wales-coast-path-digitisation Sun, 08 Jul 2012 12:37:00 GMT
Flintshire Rights of Way Network Digitisation Flintshire County Council recruited exeGesIS to update their digital definitive map. The scenario was that the digital Definitive map hadn’t been updated for several years, while in that time a number of Legal Orders had come into force that changed the network, meaning their digital definitive map was out of date and inaccurate.

For each Path Order the digital map layer was checked against the Order Plan and updated where relevant. Orders were processing chronological order, so that all the necessary changes were incorporated.

During this project we used a combination of skill, experience and the CAMS legal module with its specially developed path modification order functions.  This took an existing, out of date, map layer and turned into something that was accurate and up to date.


Richard Coppock]]>
https://www.esdm.co.uk/flintshire-rights-of-way-network-digitisation https://www.esdm.co.uk/flintshire-rights-of-way-network-digitisation https://www.esdm.co.uk/flintshire-rights-of-way-network-digitisation Mon, 12 Jul 2010 16:06:00 GMT
Rights of Way Network Gradient Analysis Information about gradients along the Rights of Way network is very important for informing decisions about accessibility and the availability of the network for different users, and particularly in terms of targeting resources in order to improve accessibility. However, this information is not always easily available, and Devon County Council asked exeGesIS to calculate the gradients along their Rights of Way network for them.

To do this,  exeGesIS used two mapping layers: the Rights of Way layer and a layer of contour lines. From these, gradients could be determined for the small segments of each path between contours, using the elevation of the contour lines. Once these had been calculated, each path was assigned a gradient corresponding to the maximum gradient along it. The walked length was also calculated for each link.

The outputs form this; the updated Rights of Way layer with the gradient information added, and the same layer split into the segments between contours allowed DCC not only to better plan their accessibility improvement planning, but also to provide a thematic map of their network by gradient online so that members of the public could choose where to walk.

Devon employed the results of the gradient analysis in one of the Council websites, presenting the data to the public. Other clients have used the data in a variety of ways, from prioritising the teams workload to designing easy access and other types of promoted routes. 


Richard Coppock]]>
https://www.esdm.co.uk/rights-of-way-network-gradient-analysis https://www.esdm.co.uk/rights-of-way-network-gradient-analysis https://www.esdm.co.uk/rights-of-way-network-gradient-analysis Wed, 12 Jul 2006 14:09:00 GMT