The GeoPlace Annual Awards reward best practice and outstanding instances of data management by local authorities. 

The Platinum Award for Address Data is only given to authorities that have consistently reached and maintained the highest standards in national tests on data excellence, supplying regular updates to GeoPlace, the national hub managing receipt of Address and Street data from every local authority in England and Wales. 

Land, property, street and address information is used to connect different services across the council – giving communities and individuals a ‘property level view’ of the services available to them. 

Not only is this data used by local authorities, but also by the emergency services to respond to incidents, central government to manage projects such as Warm Homes Discounts and banking and retail sectors to provide mortgages and insurance. It is crucial data enabling the connection of services to people and places. 

Allerdale Borough Council has a contractual requirement to appoint an Address Custodian, who is responsible for submitting accurate monthly information to GeoPlace. Without the work of Address Custodians, GeoPlace would not have the high-quality data that is essential for the efficient and effective operation of all those services in Great Britain. 

This is why the Platinum Award for Address Data is important. It is formal recognition of the authoritative, valued nature of the Council’s addressing database. It recognises the hard work and skill that goes into maintaining a constantly changing dataset.  

In announcing the Award to Allerdale Borough Council, Nick Chapallaz, Managing Director of GeoPlace stated: "Every year, it gives us immense pleasure to highlight the work being done by Street and Address Custodians. Allerdale Borough Council has set an example for data management that deserves recognition on a national stage. Managing addressing information data to this standard takes skill, and commitment. 

“The Platinum Award recognises excellence and is an appreciation of the effort going into a sometimes-over-looked process, but one that delivers massive local and national benefits, right across the public and private sectors.”

Councillor Alan Pitcher, Executive Member with responsibility for customer experience and innovation, said: “Being awarded with GeoPlace’s Platinum Award for our Address Data is a fantastic achievement and a great accolade for the data team who work extremely hard to achieve such high data management standards.

“This award exemplifies our continuous efforts to meticulously manage our data and is laying good foundations for taking our standards forward into the new Cumberland Council”. 

Each month GeoPlace receives around 2 million record changes, mainly from local authority Custodians responsible for making sure change in authorities is managed, recorded and reported.