The Postcode Address File (PAF) is a database containing all known addresses and postcodes in United Kingdom.
Every house and business in the United Kingdom has been given a postal address by Royal Mail. This address is used as a routing instruction by Royal Mail staff to sort and deliver mail quickly and accurately. However, it is not always a geographically accurate description of where a property is located.[1]
The PAF is a complete collection of over 28 million Royal Mail postal addresses and UK postcodes. It includes Small User Residential, Small User Organisation and Large User Organisation details. It is available in a variety of formats including Digital Audio Tape and compact disc. A charge is made for lookup services or wholesale supply of PAF data.
Contents |
Structure of the file
| Element | Field name | Max length |
|---|---|---|
| Organisation | Organisation Name | 60 |
| Department Name | 60 | |
| Premise | Sub Building Name | 30 |
| Building Name | 50 | |
| Building Number | 4 | |
| Thoroughfare | Dependent Thoroughfare Name | 60 |
| Dependent Thoroughfare Descriptor | 20 | |
| Thoroughfare Name | 60 | |
| Thoroughfare Descriptor | 20 | |
| Locality | Double Dependent Locality | 35 |
| Dependent Locality | 35 | |
| Post Town | 30 | |
| Postcode | Postcode | 7 |
| PO Box | PO Box | 6 |
Application
Alias data
The Alias File is a supplementary file containing additional data, including details that have changed over time, or have been slightly amended by the public, and then used. This file is used to identify these elements and cross-reference with the official postal address.
The Alias File holds four types of record: Locality, Thoroughfare, Delivery Point Alias, and County Alias:
- The Locality record - holds short forms, local names, and 'postally-not-required' (PNRL) details.
- The Thoroughfare record - contains replacement street and road names for a given locality, thoroughfare or dependent thoroughfare combination.
- The Delivery Point Alias record - holds additional information at given addresses, such as trading names and building names.
- The County record - holds traditional, administrative and postal county information.
Royal Mail, in their guide to the data products[2] imply that the county alias information was provided when Royal Mail removed the former postal county from the main file.
Errors
Royal Mail acknowledges that the PAF contains errors, and publishes forms for submitting error reports. A very small number of addresses are not listed correctly, and others (especially new developments) may not be listed at all for a period of time.
Costs and public availability
Between 2004 and 2006 a consultation was taken about the future management of the PAF. The proposal to release it for use at low or no cost was rejected, and the business model where it was used to raise money from profitable corporations was retained.[3]
The balance sheet for the PAF for 2005/6 disclosed an income of £18million, 8.6% of which was profit.[4]
See also
References
- ^ http://www.postcomm.gov.uk/policy-and-consultations/consultations/postcode-address-file--changing-postal-addresses/PAFCodeofPracticeReviewFinalDoc.pdf
- ^ PAF Digest, p12)
- ^ PostComm. "Postcode Address File - review of the management of PAF". http://www.psc.gov.uk/policy-and-consultations/consultations/postcode-address-file--management-of-information.html.
- ^ "Royal Mail's Future management of PAF". April 2007. http://www.psc.gov.uk/postcomm/live/policy-and-consultations/consultations/postcode-address-file--management-of-information/PAF_decision_doc.pdf.
External links
- PAF from Royal Mail
- Technical guide to using the PAF file - A document that explains the PAF file in some detail.
- Alias File from Royal Mail
|
||||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
