This industry-leading gazetteer management software allows easy and rapid access to information held in council computer systems, allowing local authorities to centralise services with one-stop-shop call centres and new community websites.

GGP NGz is one of only two systems to be accredited to the NLPG: 2006 BS7666 standard. The system manages a centralised address listing of all properties, streets and land. Used by every department within Tandridge this NLPG database is dynamically linked to a number of systems including an authority wide Intranet service, the Council’s corporate geographical information system (GIS) and other essential back office systems.

Tandridge created their NLPG by combining individual address records from departments, such as Council Tax, Rates and the Electoral Register. With a population of 79,000 occupying 32,000 households, the merging of datasets initially produced 57,000 potential addresses. With much duplication evident, GGP’ s NGz software reduced the figure to 38,000 validated address records.

Tandridge uses GGP NGz to manage and maintain their gazetteer continuously updating and refining property details. Dynamic links to the Council’s corporate GIS, supplied by ESRI, their MIS planning software and other ICT systems in Refuse and Recycling, Housing, Revenue, Electoral Register, to name just a few, ensure the currency, accuracy and integrity of the address dataset.

“By creating, maintaining and using a single gazetteer throughout the Council we can reduce inaccuracies, increase efficiencies and deliver a much improved level of service,” said Pat Porter, LLPG Custodian at Tandridge District Council. “Since the introduction of the NLPG, managed and maintained using GGP NGz, one department has reported a 50% decrease in the number of complaints filed as a result of address inaccuracies and a measurable improvement in customer service.”

GGP NGz also provides Tandridge with an interface between the locally managed address data and the national hub. From October 2007 all 375 Councils in England and Wales must be able to transfer data to the national NLPG hub in compliance with the new data transfer format standard. By using GGP NGz, Tandridge, well ahead of this deadline, is already contributing to the reality of a national addressing standard.

“By using GGP NGz to manage, maintain and implement our gazetteer we have achieved a number of significant milestones and are actively working towards several more,” continued Pat Porter. “We are looking at the possibility of introducing a customer call management centre and adding additional functionality to our website, neither of which would be possible without the gazetteer.”