Aerial photo of Enfield, North London, taken from a digital photomap produced by BlueSky

Aerial mapping company BlueSky has produced an ultra detailed aerial survey of the North London Borough of Enfield. Using the latest digital survey camera technology BlueSky flew the aerial survey in early Spring, before leaves started to appear on trees, to reduce the ground detail obscured by leaf canopies. The 5cm digital photomap is detailed enough to show property boundaries, paving slabs and even individual plants, making it the best resolution imagery commercially available.

The Enfield imagery has also been incorporated into the GeoPerspectives aerial photomap of Greater London; covering over 1600 square kilometres this dataset provides a highly accurate and up to date view of the Capital.

"We commissioned a winter survey to maximise the amount of information captured," said Mark Page, GIS Manager. "In addition, as we are able to view ground features as small as litter bins and cracks in the pavement, the number and range of applications of this data within the Council has exceeded expectations providing a real return on our investment."

The aerial survey was commissioned by the Council to update and complement existing aerial datasets and improve the efficiency of Council Services. Centrally held, the data is accessed using a web enabled geographical information system (GIS) via the Council's Intranet. Users throughout the organisation, including Planning, Environment and Transport, are benefiting from being able to view real world, map accurate ground detail at the desktop. For example, the Highways department consider the new aerial data to be an essential resource; using the digital imagery they can make accurate ground measurements and complete preliminary site visits without leaving the office.

"Previous aerial surveys of the Borough have not provided sufficient detail for the specific requirements of our department," said Jim Ventris, Horticultural Engineer. "Using the GeoPerspectives 5cm data has enabled the establishment of a detailed grounds maintenance data base without leaving the office. This exercise could not realistically have been considered previously. For the department, this represents a substantial and continuing improvement in our service area. Resultant on-costs are reduced, presentations and Contractor relationships have improved and increased client interest for additional works."

Enfield is one of the largest and most northern of the London Boroughs with an estimated population of 280,500 within just over 84 square kilometres. Surprisingly Enfield is remarkably 'green', with half of the borough undeveloped Green Belt or open spaces and 15 designated conservation areas. The latest aerial survey from GeoPerspectives updates previous photomaps dating back to 1971, including three datasets created by BlueSky from photo prints held by Enfield Council.

GeoPerspectives is a joint venture between Infoterra and BlueSky providing national coverage of orthorectified aerial photography, digital terrain & surface models (DTM/DSM) for 3D modelling, and colour infra-red imagery (CIR) for vegetation analysis.