Following the YouTube Live Training session, we had requests to write the answers to the questions asked during it, these can be found here:
YouTube Q&A:
I’m using Parish Online a lot for responding to planning applications, is it possible to have annotation layers, where they are labelled for each planning application?
- My recommendation would be to create a new Map Layer called something like “Planning Application responses” and then draw your responses into that. Whether it’s a point or polygon layer you can change the colour and labelling of each point by using Style Classes. These essentially style the object based on the information you type within it. For example; approved, rejected, pending etc could all be different colours.
Is there a way to avoid paying £3 to Land Registry? Parish Online only provides Cadastral Numbers I think - not owner ID
- Sadly not. The data we get from Land Registry only contains the boundaries and INSPIRE-ID numbers. You can use these INSPIRE-ID numbers when using the search box on the Land Registry website (https://eservices.landregistry.gov.uk/eservices/FindAProperty/view/LrInspireIdInit.do;jsessionid=Y0akeJUBf7d-M107LMjSupz0ljdmc-rMPABBlq4p.b46504c9:frontend-web-0). This will save time when searching, particularly for titles like “Land at the back of St George’s Farm” or something obscure like that.
Is there any data available for protected species sightings - would be helpful for planning applications!
- It looks like Environment Agency does have information on protected species but this is just a list, rather than an area where they’re protected. We’ll put it on our list to continue searching for but if you find anything that might work then drop us an email and we’ll take a look. This applies to any information you find on the web. If it’s something that will help you do your job, let us know how and why you want to use it and we’ll try and add it in.
I'd like to know how to place the viewpoint icons so that they point in the correct direction. At the moment I can only select one icon for a generic *viewpoint* rather than a specific one
- This is the same answer as the first question. Using Style Classes you can use the arrow icons to point in different directions.
Is it possible to attend on site with say an iPad or other device, and plot directly into Parish Online for say, a bench and it knows where you are using GPS rather than guesstimating back in the office?
- Yes, you can go on-site with a tablet or device and plot directly into Parish Online. However, it doesn’t pick up GPS from your device yet. This is something we’ve trialled, but it isn’t ready for primetime yet. We’ll let you know when it’s ready.
Can you blank out areas outside of the Parish of interest? And, I want to draw a Neighbourhood Plan boundary that corresponds to the parish boundary. Is there a quick way of doing this, rather than tracing by hand?
- Not currently, but we’re working on an easy way for you to do this. We realise some have manually drawn out areas and made them white in the past. This is really tedious, so we want to do something that makes this easy for you. This will either be in the form of an advanced filter or copying objects from one layer to another. We’ll keep you posted.
Can you add your own layers or are they present (pre-set?)?
- We have the pre-set layers in the Asset Register collection that you can use for storing a wide variety of things. But you can also create your own layers for any purpose. You can do this from the Admin Panel. They then appear in your “Parish Layers” collection.
Can you have both a public view and an operational view?
- We’ll soon be releasing a tool that lets you publish certain map layers onto your public website. We’ve got a few more tweaks to make before we release it, but this will allow you to have your own Parish Online private data and publish whatever layers you like to your website. For example, you might have created some layers relating to your fireworks night or Christmas market. These can be embedded as an interactive map on the relevant page on your website.
Do you have an app so that you can take pictures and add assets on the go?
- Not yet but it’s something we’ve had in mind for a while. Again, we’ll continue working on it and let you know when it’s ready for prime time. In the meantime, if you have an Internet enabled tablet or phone then you can do this already by logging into Parish Online and editing it directly. It’s just not optimised for it yet.
Is there a limit to how many comments and documents you can upload for each asset?
- No, there’s no limit, add as much as you like.
If a Council subscribes, what training is available?
- We have online help through our Knowledge Base and email support, both of which are free. We can also do half-day and full-day training sessions. Pricing is here (https://geoxphere.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/36000182275-parish-online-training). We don’t mind how many people we train on the day, so you can club together and do a group training session if you like. These work really well.
What is the link between Parish Online and Pear Technologies? Do we need both?
- There’s no technical link as such, but both ourselves and Pear Technology keep in close contact to ensure any query that comes our way is handled in the best way. We both know that our software is designed for different purposes, so if we see that you might actually be better off with software from Pear Technology we’ll tell you, and Pear Technology will do likewise.
I would like to plot where the replies to my recent survey came from without giving away individual addresses. How could I do that?
- Perhaps plot them by postcode rather than exact address. The postcode covers quite a few addresses so that should do the job of anonymising the data. You can switch on the Code-Point Polygons layer (which is essentially postcode boundaries) to help.
Is it possible to add Rods, as our allotments are measured in that way?
- Yes, we’ve got it on our list to add. We just need to find Rod first to ask his permission…
Are you going to say anything about mapping a cemetery?
- Cemetery mapping is a specialist piece of work that Pear Technology are better of conducting for you. They can produce the plans and import any historic records. If you ask Pear for the map data, we can add this into your Parish Online account.
Can you download the asset register to excel?
- Yes, you can use the Data Extract tool for that. We’re also working on a tool that will combine all the Asset Register layers into one consistent asset register document. That’s important for us to finish soon.
I don't have the 'Parish Layers' section in my left-hand menu... Do you need to set this up for me?
- No, it’ll appear as soon as you create your first Map Layer. You can do this from the Admin Panel.
If there's anything you need from us, please raise a support ticket.
Many thanks,
The Parish Online team