This is not a really technical question but is required for a system I am building. I am after a UK suburb/postcode database. I haven't been able to find this anywhere and wonder if it is available (freely). I know in Australia is is freely downloadable from Australia Post. Also a US suburb/zip database is required as a secondary concern.
+1
A:
Might be worth looking at http://stackoverflow.com/questions/308017/where-can-i-get-postal-codes-for-all-countries
Accepted answer there was http://www.geonames.org/, but some other options listed too.
seanb
2008-11-27 22:23:09
Thanks. I search for other questions but couldn't find anything. Possibly SO need to upgrade their search engine.
Craig
2008-11-27 22:24:46
The problem is that different places use different words - postcode, post code and postal code are all correct depending on where you live, and search isn't quite up to Google's "Did you mean..." level.
Harley
2008-11-27 23:30:34
A:
UK-specific:
You can purchase the information from Royal Mail. The database is known as the P.A.F. details here It's ridiculously expensive, and you have to pay yearly. A total mugging in my opinion, but there it is.
Alternatively you can use a 3rd party distributor, not much cheaper really, but offer better APIs. We use Postcode Anywhere, who have nasty stringent licenses, but very nice APIs for embedding the search in applications/websites etc.
Ali A
2008-11-27 22:40:39
There are no nice (license wise) ways to get PAF data or access to an API. RM don't let 3rd parties sell on API access in a fair way. All their license options are pretty brain-dead.There's an argument that RM are breaching their charter, but I guess no-one's fought that one yet.
Draemon
2008-11-27 22:51:18
Draemon: Do you have a link to any info on the charter-breach? If they are, surely someone should call them on it.
Ali A
2008-11-27 23:05:20
Draemon
2008-11-28 17:37:18
I was given the indication (by someone at a distributor of well-known postcode data company) that they thought RM may be in breach of the carter by charging so much, and using a crazy licensing scheme. I had thought the charter required RM to provide the PAF data at minimal cost, not just reasonable
Draemon
2008-11-28 17:39:17
Looks like this data may be free soon. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8402327.stm
Craig
2009-12-09 21:52:02
A:
The Royal mail PAf data is less than affordable, but if you request the sample data from the royal mail they include the complete localities table, along with the postcode sector that locality appears in (So, for example, "East Bergholt" in "CO6 7"). It also includes flags to show if the locality is required for postal sorting, in case the postcode is not legible.
In addition, as eluded to in this other post, the lat/longs for every UK postcode have been leaked.
Rowland Shaw
2009-09-22 18:51:08