FAQ Page

The UK Map Centre provides the latest edition Ordnance Survey (OS) mapping in multiple formats — from planning application PDFs to CAD data for large developments, and geo-referenced tiles for GIS software.

An OS map is a scaled map produced by Great Britain’s national mapping agency, Ordnance Survey. It’s highly accurate and commonly required for planning applications and other official purposes.

OS maps are the authoritative base mapping. Planning maps are OS extracts formatted for council submission (with north arrow, scale bar and copyright). Our maps are designed to be planning-department compliant.

Yes. Our online ordering lets you choose coverage by page size or ground area. Each product page includes a short how-to video, and our team can help via chat, email or phone.

We supply Ordnance Survey digital mapping, valued by professionals for its high detail and accuracy. Read more on our blog: OS MasterMap Accuracy.

We cover Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales). Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are covered by their own mapping agencies.

Typically a Location Plan at 1:1250 (urban) or 1:2500 (rural) and a Site/Block Plan at 1:500 or 1:200. Always check your local authority’s list. Easiest option: our Planning Pack (1:500 & 1:1250).

Yes. All planning maps include a north arrow, scale bar and the required OS copyright/licence text.

Yes. We supply council and Land Registry-compliant mapping as an official OS partner. See our blog: Land Registry – correct map scales.

Yes — professionals and the public can order directly at ukmapcentre.com.

Choose scale based on area size and detail needed (larger scale = more detail, smaller area). Our guide helps: Understanding Map Scale.

Use our locator to plot your site and adjust coverage. A common standard is 1:1250 for planning and Land Registry. Start here: 1:1250 Location Plans (watch the how-to video on the page).

Raster: PDF (most popular), JPEG, TIFF, Word, PNG, BMP — see scales here: Block/Location/Rural Plans.
Vector: CAD (DWG, DXF) and GIS (GeoTIFF, GeoPackage, GML, SHP) — see: OS CAD Data.

Yes. For PDF/JPEG/TIFF you can annotate (e.g., with our Red Line tool — see blog). CAD/GIS files are editable in your software. Keep the OS licence text on outputs; for GIS, include attribution as supplied in your delivery email.

We supply digital files only. PDFs are exported at print size (no re-scaling needed).

Most orders are fulfilled within ~20 minutes, 7am–11pm, 7 days a week. Large plots may take longer. If nothing arrives, check spam/junk, then contact us via chat, email or phone.

Our products are licensed OS data (not free). Ordnance Survey does publish some Open Data layers: OS OpenData.

Digital/data: for the term purchased (usually 1–3 years) as shown on your licence/receipt.
Printed/PDF: for immediate use (e.g., a planning or Land Registry submission). Purchase a new map if you need an updated or additional copy later.

You may share digital/data with sub-contractors on the same project during the active licence term if permitted by your licence (and with a completed sub-contractor form). Resale, publishing, or use on other projects isn’t allowed; new projects need a new licence. 📄 Contractor Licence Template

Yes — all extracts and data are fully licensed and include the correct © Crown copyright and OS licence number.

All maps are supplied digitally as print-ready PDFs (no physical shipping). You’ll receive a download link by email.

Recommended printers: Tradeprint  |  Muir Media

If it hasn’t arrived within ~20 minutes, check spam/junk. Then email online@ukmapcentre.com with your order number, or call us and we’ll resend immediately.

Because maps are custom-generated digital products, refunds aren’t usually available after processing. If there’s an error (wrong area/format), we’ll replace or help you re-order. Email online@ukmapcentre.com with details and your order number.

Phone: 0141 552 7722 (Mon–Fri, 9:00–17:30). Live chat is available during the same hours. For out-of-hours, email online@ukmapcentre.com or use the contact form.

Mapping for Print: We provide high-resolution aerial imagery maps at 1:1250 scale and 1:2500 scale, supplied as print-ready digital files. These are ideal for planning applications, site assessments, and reports, offering clear, detailed overhead views of your chosen area.

Digital Data: We also supply digital aerial imagery data as custom extracts (AOI) — tailored precisely to your required site or boundary. Tiles are also available for larger GIS projects. All imagery is accurately georeferenced and aligned with OS MasterMap for seamless integration in professional GIS workflows.

📘 Learn more in our blog: OS MasterMap Aerial Imagery — Sections vs Tiles Explained .

Basic Extracts: For simple planning or reference purposes, you can order standard 1:2500 mapping extracts directly from OS MasterMap. These are ideal for general site layouts or rural planning projects.

CAD Data (Recommended for Survey & Design): For professional survey, engineering, and design workflows, we supply OS Height Data (DTM) — a digital terrain model derived from OS Terrain 5 data. This dataset is delivered in DXF and DWG formats for AutoCAD, MicroStation, and other CAD applications, allowing you to overlay contours, perform cut/fill analysis, or model site gradients with precision.

GIS Users: The same height and contour information is available for GIS platforms such as QGIS or ArcGIS, provided as GeoTIFF or Grid datasets for integration with other Ordnance Survey layers.

📘 For more information on using Ordnance Survey elevation data, see our OS Height Data (DTM) page.

Yes. UK Map Centre supplies a comprehensive range of Ordnance Survey and aerial mapping datasets for GIS, available in industry-standard formats such as SHP, GML, GPKG, GeoTIFF, and DXF/DWG. These datasets are fully georeferenced, projection-ready, and ideal for analysis, planning, and integration in GIS software such as QGIS and ArcGIS.

AOI (Area of Interest) — Custom Extracts:
Order OS MasterMap custom extracts or Aerial Imagery extracts tailored to your specific site boundary. You can also order 1:10,000 (VectorMap Local), 1:25,000 (Explorer), and 1:50,000 (Landranger) custom extracts — perfect for focused GIS work and smaller AOIs.

Standard Tiles — Predefined Grid Coverage:
For larger projects or consistent regional mapping, you can also purchase predefined tiles. Available layers and sizes include:

• 1 km × 1 km — OS MasterMap Tiles | Aerial Imagery Tiles
• 5 km × 5 km — OS VectorMap Local (1:10,000 Raster) Tiles
• 10 km × 10 km — OS Raster 1:25,000 (Explorer) Tiles
• 20 km × 20 km — OS Raster 1:50,000 (Landranger) Tiles

📘 Learn more in our blog: Vector & Raster Mapping for GB GIS Users .

Yes — send your requirements and we’ll quote and provide samples where applicable.

Select the scale/format (e.g., 1:1250 or 1:2500 for planning, or CAD/GIS data), enter your address/postcode/coordinates, and we’ll generate a map from the latest OS MasterMap — ready for planning, site plans or Land Registry submissions.