Postcode Address File: Difference between revisions

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{{shortShort description|British geographical databaseDatabase of alladdresses knownin Royal Mail postal addressesthe andUnited postcodesKingdom}}

{{EngvarB|date=September 2017}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}

{{distinguish|ZIP (file format)}}

The '''Postcode Address File''' ('''PAF''') is a database that contains all known "''[[Delivery point|delivery points"]]'' and [[postcodes in the United Kingdom]]. The PAF is a collection of over 29 million Royal Mail postal addresses and 1.8&nbsp;million [[postcode]]s.<ref>{{cite web|title=PAF Stats|url=http://www.poweredbypaf.com/category/paf-stats/|website=Powered By Paf|publisher=Royal Mail Group Ltd|access-date=9 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309140048/http://www.poweredbypaf.com/category/paf-stats/|archive-date=9 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> It is available in a variety of formats including [[File Transfer Protocol|FTP]] download and compact disc, and was previously available as [[digital audio tape]]. As owner of the PAF, Royal Mail is required by section 116 of the [[Postal Services Act 2000]] to maintain the data and make it available on reasonable terms. A charge is made for lookup services or wholesale supply of PAF data. Charges are regulated by [[Ofcom]]. It includes small user residential, small user organisation and large user organisation details. There have been requests as part of the [[Open Data in the United Kingdom|Open Data]] campaign for the PAF to be released by the government free of charge.<ref>{{cite news|first=Charles |last=Arthur |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2010/jan/22/postcode-petition-fails-blocked-number-ten |title=Developers dismayed as No.10 blocks free postcode file |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=22 January 2010 |access-date=10 June 2013}}</ref>

==Usage==

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*The county record – holds [[Counties of the United Kingdom|traditional]], [[Administrative county|administrative]] and [[Postal counties of the United Kingdom|postal county]] information.

Royal Mail, in their guide to the data products<ref>[ftp://ftp.royalmail.com/Downloads/public/ctf/rm/PAF_Digest_Dec_03.pdf PAF Digest]{{dead link|date=March 2018May 2025|bot=InternetArchiveBot medic}}{{cbignore|fix-attemptedbot=yes medic}}, p12</ref> imply that the county alias information was provided when Royal Mail removed the former postal county from the main file.

==Errors==

Royal Mail acknowledges that the PAF contains errors, and publishes forms for submitting error reports. A very small number of addresses are not listed correctly, and others (especially new developments) may not be listed at all for a period of time.

==Costs and public availability==

Between 2004 and 2006 a consultation was taken about the future management of the PAF. The proposal to release it for use at low or no cost was rejected, and the business model where it was used to raise money from profitable corporations was retained.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.psc.gov.uk/policy-and-consultations/consultations/postcode-address-file--management-of-information.html|title=Postcode Address File – review of the management of PAF|author=PostComm|access-date=5 October 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081120062729/http://www.psc.gov.uk/policy-and-consultations/consultations/postcode-address-file--management-of-information.html|archive-date=20 November 2008|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

The accounts for the PAF for 2005/6 disclosed an income of £18million, 8.6% of which was profit.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.psc.gov.uk/postcomm/live/policy-and-consultations/consultations/postcode-address-file--management-of-information/PAF_decision_doc.pdf|title=Royal Mail's Future management of PAF|date=April 2007|access-date=5 October 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/2011093001174520090324084021/http://www.psc.gov.uk/postcomm/live/policy-and-consultations/consultations/postcode-address-file--management-of-information/PAF_decision_doc.pdf|archive-date=3024 SeptemberMarch 20112009|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Following a government consultation,<ref>[http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/ordnancesurveyconsultation DCLG: Policy options for geographic information from Ordnance Survey: Consultation] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091230115507/http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/ordnancesurveyconsultation |date=30 December 2009 }}</ref> on 1 April 2010 [[Ordnance Survey]] released co-ordinate data for all Great Britain postcodes (but not their address elements) for re-use free of charge under an attribution-only licence, as part of [[Ordnance Survey#Open data releases|OS OpenData]].