OSM UK Post Office Mapping Notes

This page provides some caveats and suggestions for how to make use of the branch list released by Post Office Ltd under the OGL to improve the coverage and tagging of Post Office branches in the UK.

Data Notes / Caveats

• The data released is a snapshot at a single moment in time (March 2019). As time passes it will be come more out of date. We may be able to get updates on an annual bases, but as the data becomes older, use with care.
• The location coordinates can be wrong. Either slightly misplaced by 10-100m or so, or in some cases not updated following a move of the post office. Use with caution.
• The addresses seem to be correct, though aren't always that helpful in determining the location as they typically don't include the name of the shop/business that the PO is located in.
• The addresses are provided in five lines plus a postcode. The last two appear to always be the postal town and county. The data in the first three fields varies. I've made an attempt at parsing the addresses into OSM keys, which works in quite a few cases, but this isn't perfect.

General Mapping and Tagging Suggestions

Here are some UK specific notes for Post Office tagging, to supplement the Tag:amenity=post_office wiki page.

• Post Offices in OpenStreetMap are indicated by the tagging amenity=post_office. This can be applied to nodes, ways (e.g. a building outline) and potentially relations.
• For Directly Managed branches (formally know as Crown Offices) and convenience / village shops that are centred on the Post Office feature, then I would suggest adding amenity=post_office to the shop / building object.
• For Post Offices that are a counter within another business/shop, then I would suggest adding a separate node for the Post Office, rather than adding amenity=post_office to the shop object.
• Other useful tags:
  • name for then name of the shop / branch.
  • ref:pol_id for the Post Office Ltd ID number of the branch.
  • addr:* for the address of the branch.
  • opening_hours for the times the branch is open. Or use opening_hours:post_office if a counter in a shop has different times from the shop itself.
  • operator for the entity running the branch. This will be Post Office Ltd. for Directly Managed branches, but will be franchise holder or other business for other branches.
• If making use of the Post Office data to add features / tags to OSM, then please note the source, with a source:* tag or through the changeset source field. Suggested value for either: pol_branch_list_2019-03.
• Some other courier / delivery firms have public facing outlets that function like Post Offices (e.g. you can send mail from them) but are not connected with Post Office Ltd. and don't use the "Post Office" brand. It is not clear whether they should be tagged as amenity=post_office or not, and if they are, how one might distinguish them from Post Office Ltd. branches.

Suggested Uses of the Progress Tool

The Post Office Progress Tool compares OSM data for amenity=post_office objects to the official branch lists. The tool tries to match up the branches — either by reference values or geographic proximity. For each postal area, a map is show with matches by number, matches by location, unmatched OSM objects, and missing branches.

Unmatched Post Offices (red circles)

• If clear that the object was a POL branch, which must now have closed / re-located, then remove the object or Post Office tagging from OSM. Make sure there isn't a neighbouring misplaced blue circle (caused by bad POL data) that should be matched to the red circle branch.
• If a former branch was also a shop, then the shop may or may not have closed too. If you don't have local knowledge, then I'd suggest leaving the shop tagging, but adding a fixme=* tag or an OSM note to ask for it to be checked.
• If it looks like a single Post Office branch has been mapped twice (e.g. with a node and an area.), then merge the adjacent objects.
• If it is clear that the OSM object is not a post office, then re-tag more appropriately (e.g. Royal Mail delivery / sorting offices can be tagged as amenity=post_depot.)
• If the OSM object is is a public office for another parcel/courier firm, or a 'Post&Go' machine, then I would suggest leaving it as is for the time being. (It is still an open question on how best to tag these.)

Missing Post Office branches (blue circles)

• Beware that locations in the data may not be correct, so do not simply add an object at the location shown without some other corroborating evidence.
• If you have other evidence of the Branch's location (e.g. the address in the data coupled with existing mapping) then the branch can be added to OSM without a ground survey. There is a JOSM Remote Control link to to this on the branch page within the tool, though the position and some of the tagging may need adjusting.
• If you cannot be sure of the location from the information available, then leave it for someone else to survey on the ground.

Missing "Home Service" Branches (light blue circles)

• I'm not clear exactly what these 'branches' are. They may be a bookable "come to you" service -- in which case, there's not really any physical presence to add. Until they're understood better, I'd suggest not adding them to OSM.

Branches matched by proximity (light green lines)

• Be wary of matches: the POL location data may not be accurate, and many post offices have moved location, sometimes only a few meters along a road. Also, some POL locations have been found not to have been updated following a branch move.
• If you are confident that the location matches the POL data (e.g. the POL address matches existing tagging on the OSM object, or you have local knowledge), then add a ref:pol_id=* tag with the ID number in, to confirm the match. Then see the next section below.
• If not, then try to confirm the location with a ground survey.

Branches matched by ID (dark green lines)

• Check that the matching is OK.
• Look at adding POL data for name, address/postcode, and opening hours. There is a JOSM Remote Control link to do this from the branch page in the tool. But remember to review what you are adding, and also add appropriate source tags.
• If adding opening_hours=* to an object that tagged as a shop as well as a Post Office, then you will need to use your judgement as to whether the opening hours for the Post Office apply to the whole shop. If in doubt, use opening_hours:post_office=*.