Stanfords Portal

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

If you are having problems using the service please refer to the FAQ provided below.

General

Purpose and Scope

The purpose of this document is to provide the complete list of Frequently Asked Questions related to the use of the Stanfords Portal website (www.geostore.com/stanfordsportal). This document is not a user manual but a guide to use all available maps and tools on the website. Further information is available on our website.

What is Stanfords Portal?

Stanfords have launched a brand new standalone mapping tool enabling customers to view, browse and print large scale maps and make new orders online. It is a low maintenance, easy to use web-based planning portal system to draw, visualise and annotate on your map before ordering in various word processing or graphics formats.

Who can use Stanfords Portal?

Stanfords Portal can be used by the public or professionals to support applications in the following areas:

Planning Applications (conservatories/extensions/change of use/signage).
Architectural drawings.
Plans for surveys.
Property development for feasibility studies.
House building projects.
Traffic & Highway management.
Railways.
Telecoms (acquisition & design).
Environmental planning.
Conveyancing.

What can I access on the website as a Portal registered user?

As a Portal registered user you have permission to all basic user functionality,

Search
Choose
Basket
Checkout

Manage Users
Make a new order
Order History

Make a new order

What is the “Make a new order” and its functions?

The “Make a new order” page is the core tool of Stanfords Portal website which also serves as the homepage for its users.

The “Make a new order” tool has the following functions:

Search: You can search for a desired location from the Choose an area section, the results will be returned at the bottom of the page where you will be required to select one of the possible results.
Choose: You can choose the selected product from the 2 types of products available from the drop down box.
Basket: Basket allows you to see the chosen items and select product format.
Checkout: You can see the order summary and pay by either invoice or World Pay.

How to search and view a property by post code?

To search and view a property by postcode, you have to

Select the postcode option from the drop down list in “Choose an area”.
Enter a postcode and click on the search button.
Select the desired property from the search results. (Note: 75 p charge is levied to view).
Map will be displayed with a 36 hectare viewable area.

How to search and view property by House/Property?

To search and view a property by house/property, you have to

Select the House/Property option from the drop down list in” Choose an area”.
Enter a house number, street, town and postcode and click on the search button.
Select the desired property form the search results. (Note: 75 p charge is levied to view).
Map will be displayed with a 36 hectare viewable area.

How to search and view property by Coordinates?

To search and view a property by house/property, you have to

Select the Coordinates option from the drop down list in “Choose an area”.
Enter the X and Y coordinates values in the appropriate boxes and click on the search button.
Select the desired property form the search results. (Note: 75 p charge is levied to view).
Map will be displayed with a 36 hectare viewable area.

Will I have to pay a new search fee if I leave the “Make a new order” during the order process?

You are not required to pay a new search fee as along as your session is alive. A session can stay alive for up to 15 minutes of inactivity and not logging out or closing the browser window.

Product Types

What kinds of products are available on the “Make a new order”?

The available products are presented in two collapsible panels under the Choose tab.

Standard Planning Downloads.
Professional Product Portfolio.

You are directed to the Choose tab after the successful completion of a search.

What are the different products available in Standard Planning Downloads?

There are 4 Standard products available only for "Planning Application Maps".

0.9 Hectare area in A4 Paper Size with scale 1:500 (Aerial Photography Data not available for this area)
1.0 Hectare area in A4 Paper Size with scale 1:1250
4.0 Hectare area in A4 Paper Size with scale 1:1250
16.0 Hectare area in A4 Paper Size with scale 1:2500

What are the different products available in Professional Product Portfolio for Aerial Photography Data 12.5cm and 25cm?

There are 6 Professional Products available Aerial Photography Data Layer.

1.0 Hectare area graphic format only
4.0 Hectare area graphic format only
9.0 Hectare area graphic format only
25 Hectare area graphic format only
100 Hectare area graphic format only
User Defined Area Graphic format only

What are the different products available in Professional Product Portfolio for Map & Height Data for CAD for VectorMap (CAD)? (This product also contains gridlines, banners, licence text and logo)

There are 5 Professional Products available for Map & Height Data for CAD for OS Master Map:

1.0 Hectare area vector format only
4.0 Hectare area vector format only
9.0 Hectare area vector format only
25 Hectare area vector format only
User Defined Area vector format only

What are the different products available in Professional Product Portfolio for Map & Height Data for CAD for Digital Surface Model 2m?

There are 8 Professional Products available for Map & Height Data for CAD for DSM 2m:

4.0 Hectare area graphic format only
16.0 Hectare area graphic format only
25.0 Hectare area graphic format only
100.0 Hectare area graphic format only
400.0 Hectare area graphic format only
900.0 Hectare area graphic format only
2500.0 Hectare area graphic format only
User Defined Area Graphic format only

What are the different products available in Professional Product Portfolio for Map & Height Data for CAD for Digital Terrain Model 5m?

There are 8 Professional Products available for Map & Height Data for CAD for Digital Terrain Model 5m:

4.0 Hectare area graphic format only
16.0 Hectare area graphic format only
25.0 Hectare area graphic format only
100.0 Hectare area graphic format only
400.0 Hectare area graphic format only
900.0 Hectare area graphic format only
2500.0 Hectare area graphic format only
User Defined Area Graphic format only

What are the different products available in Professional Product Portfolio for Map & Height Data for CAD for LiDAR surface data 1m, 2m?

There are 5 Professional Products available for Map & Height Data for CAD for LiDAR surface data 1m, 2m:

4.0 Hectare area graphic format only
9.0 Hectare area graphic format only
25.0 Hectare area graphic format only
100.0 Hectare area graphic format only
User Defined Area Graphic format only

What are the different products available in Professional Product Portfolio for Map & Height Data for CAD for LiDAR terrain data 1m, 2m?

There are 5 Professional Products available for Map & Height Data for CAD for LiDAR terrain data 1m, 2m:

4.0 Hectare area graphic format only
9.0 Hectare area graphic format only
25.0 Hectare area graphic format only
100.0 Hectare area graphic format only
User Defined Area Graphic format only

What are the different products available in Professional Product Portfolio for Map & Height Products for GIS for Vector Map (GIS Single file)?

There are 5 Professional Products available for Map & Height Products for GIS for Vector Map (GIS Single file):

4.0 Hectare area graphic format only
9.0 Hectare area graphic format only
25.0 Hectare area graphic format only
100.0 Hectare area graphic format only
User Defined Area Graphic format only

What are the different products available in Professional Product Portfolio for Map & Height Products for GIS for Vector Map (GIS Multiple files)?

There are 5 Professional Products available for Map & Height Products for GIS for Vector Map (GIS Multiple files):

4.0 Hectare area graphic format only
9.0 Hectare area graphic format only
25.0 Hectare area graphic format only
100.0 Hectare area graphic format only
User Defined Area Graphic format only

What are the different products available in Professional Product Portfolio for Ordnance Survey Rasters for OS 250K full GB coverage?

There are 4 Professional Products available for Ordnance Survey Rasters for OS 250K full GB coverage:

10000.0 Hectare area graphic format only
40000.0 Hectare area graphic format only
250000.0 Hectare area graphic format only
1000000.0 Hectare area graphic format only

What are the different products available in Professional Product Portfolio for Ordnance Survey Rasters for OS 50K full GB coverage?

There are 9 Professional Products available for Ordnance Survey Rasters for OS 50K full GB coverage:

900.0 Hectare area graphic format only
2500.0 Hectare area graphic format only
10000.0 Hectare area graphic format only
40000.0 Hectare area graphic format only
90000.0 Hectare area graphic format only
160000.0 Hectare area graphic format only
250000.0 Hectare area graphic format only
360000.0 Hectare area graphic format only
User Defined Area Graphic format only

What are the different products available in Professional Product Portfolio for Ordnance Survey Rasters for OS 25K full GB coverage?

There are 9 Professional Products available for Ordnance Survey Rasters for OS 25K full GB coverage:

400.0 Hectare area graphic format only
900.0 Hectare area graphic format only
2500.0 Hectare area graphic format only
4900.0 Hectare area graphic format only
10000.0 Hectare area graphic format only
22500.0 Hectare area graphic format only
40000.0 Hectare area graphic format only
62500.0 Hectare area graphic format only
90000.0 Hectare area graphic format only

What are the different products available in Professional Product Portfolio for Ordnance Survey Rasters for OS Street View (10K)?

There are 9 Professional Products available for Ordnance Survey Rasters for OS 50K full GB coverage:

400.0 Hectare area graphic format only
900.0 Hectare area graphic format only
2500.0 Hectare area graphic format only
4900.0 Hectare area graphic format only
10000.0 Hectare area graphic format only
22500.0 Hectare area graphic format only
40000.0 Hectare area graphic format only
62500.0 Hectare area graphic format only
90000.0 Hectare area graphic format only

What is the conversion for Hectares to Metres and Kilometres?

A hectare is a unit of area equal to 10,000 square metres or one square hectometre and commonly used for measuring land area.

One hectare is equivalent to one square hectometre = 100 metres × 100 metres (a square with sides 100 metres long)

1 Hectare area = 10000 square metres = 0.01 square kilometres
2 Hectare area = 20000 square metres = 0.02 square kilometres
4 Hectare area = 40000 square metres = 0.04 square kilometres
5 Hectare area = 50000 square metres = 0.05 square kilometres
12 Hectare area = 120000 square metres = 0.12 square kilometres
16 Hectare area = 160 000 square metres = 0.16 square kilometres
20 Hectare area = 200 000 square metres = 0.20 square kilometres
25 Hectare area = 250 000 square metres = 0.25 square kilometres
26 Hectare area = 260 000 square metres = 0.26 square kilometres
27 Hectare area = 270 000 square metres = 0.27 square kilometres
28 Hectare area = 280 000 square metres = 0.28 square kilometres
29 Hectare area = 290 000 square metres = 0.29 square kilometres
30 Hectare area = 300 000 square metres = 0.30 square kilometres
31 Hectare area = 310 000 square metres = 0.31 square kilometres
32 Hectare area = 320 000 square metres = 0.32 square kilometres
33 Hectare area = 330 000 square metres = 0.33 square kilometres
34 Hectare area = 340 000 square metres = 0.34 square kilometres
35 Hectare area = 350 000 square metres = 0.35 square kilometres
36 Hectare area = 360 000 square metres = 0.36 square kilometres

What is “User Defined Area graphic format only”?

“User Defined area graphic format only”, is an option to resize the map for the customized area. By selecting this option, a yellow box of 1hectare size will appear on the map.

Resizing the map can be enabled by clicking on the “Resize the order area” button from the tool bar, a small blue circle will appear at the bottom right corner of the yellow box; dragging either inwards or outwards on the blue circle enables the map to resize accordingly.

Map Layer types

What are the different types/layers of maps available on the “Make a new order”?

There are mainly 4 different types of layers.

Aerial Photography Data:

Aerial photography 25cm
Aerial Photography 12.5cm

Planning Application Maps:

Aerial photography 25cm
OS MasterMap Colour
OS MasterMap Mono (B&W map)

Map & Height Data for CAD:

VectorMap (CAD)
Digital Surface Model 2m
Digital Terrain Model 5m
LIDAR Surface data 1m, 2m
LIDAR Terrain data 1m, 2m

Map & Height Products for GIS:

VectorMap (GIS Single file)
VectorMap (GIS Multiple files)

Ordnance Survey Rasters:

OS 250k full GB coverage
OS 50k full GB coverage
OS 25k full GB coverage
OS Street view (10k)

What are the different types of formats available for the "Aerial Photography Data"?

Aerial photography is available in 2 formats, these being JPG and GTIF.

Aerial photography 25cm (JPG and GTIF)
Aerial Photography 12.5cm (JPG and GTIF)

What are the different types of formats available for the "Planning Application Maps"?

Planning Application Maps are in the following formats:

Aerial photography 25cm (JPG and GTIF)
OS Master Map (DOC, ODF, PDF, PNG , TIF)
OS Master map Mono (DOC, ODF, PDF, PNG , TIF)

What are the different types of formats available for the "Map & Height Data for CAD"?

Map & Height Data for CAD are available in the following formats:

VectorMap (CAD) (DXF, AutoCAD DWG)
Digital Surface Model 2m (DXF, AutoCAD DWG)
Digital Terrain Model 5m (DXF, AutoCAD DWG)
LIDAR Surface data 1m, 2m (DXF, AutoCAD DWG)
LIDAR Terrain data 1m, 2m (DXF, AutoCAD DWG)

What are the different types of formats available for the "Map & Height Products for GIS"?

Map & Height Products for GIS are available in the following formats:

VectorMap (GIS Single file) (DXF, AutoCAD DWG)
VectorMap (GIS Multiple file) (DXF, AutoCAD DWG)

What are the different types of formats available for the "Ordnance Survey Rasters"?

Ordnance Survey Rasters are available in the following formats:

OS 250k full GB coverage (GTIF, JPG)
OS 50k full GB coverage (GTIF, JPG)
OS 25k full GB coverage (GTIF, JPG)
OS Street view (10k) (GTIF, JPG)

What are the different graphic formats?

Graphic format is an image file format which contains the representation of graphics, stored as pixels at a resolution dependent of the output product. An example is a photographic digital image. Available graphic formats are:

PNG
TIF
GTIF
JPG
DXF
AutoCAD DWG

PNG: Portable Network Graphics (PNG) is an Open, Extensible Image Format with Lossless Compression. Short for Portable Network Graphics. PNG was developed as a patent-free answer to the GIF format but is also an improvement on the GIF technique. (See: http://www.libpng.org/pub/png/)

TIF: Tag Image File Format, TIFF, a widely used format for storing image data (see Adobe)

JPG: Short for Joint Photographic Experts Group, JPG is one of the image file formats supported on the Web. JPG is a lossy compression technique that is designed to compress colour and gray scale continuous-tone images.

GIF: Short for Graphics Interchange Format, another of the graphics formats supported by the Web. Unlike JPG, the GIF format is a lossless compression technique and it supports only 256 colours.(Source: http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Internet/2002/JPG_GIF_PNG.asp)

DXF: Data Exchange Format. A format for storing vector data in ASCII or binary files. Used by AutoCAD and other CAD software for data interchange. DXF files are convertible to ARC/INFO coverage. (Source: http://www.geocities.com/mapref/terms/esri_gloss.html)

AutoCAD DWG: DWG is the native AutoCAD® file format. The DWG file format has become the de facto standard file format for CAD data. (Source: http://www.soliddocuments.com/pdf/_dwg_file_format/70/3)

How can I choose between different map layers (Aerial photography Data, Planning Application Maps, Map & Height Data for CAD, Ordnance Survey Rasters)?

The user can choose between different map layers by clicking on the radio buttons on the top right hand side of the Choose tab.

Map Annotations

What types of annotations can be drawn and how?

Apart from automatic annotations, four other types of annotations can be drawn. You can create points, lines, polygons and circular annotations on the screen using the top row toolbar.

Draw a new point: You can draw a point using this tool, choose a colour type (red/blue) for the point from the drop-down list provided and select the appropriate icon.
Draw a boundary free hand: You can draw a line using this tool, choose a colour type (red/blue) for the point from the drop-down list provided and select the appropriate icon.
Draw a new feature (polygon): You can draw a polygon using this tool, choose a colour type (red/blue) for the point from the drop-down list provided and select the appropriate icon.
Draw a new regular polygon/circle: You can draw a circle using this tool, choose a colour type (red/blue) for the point from the drop-down list provided and select the appropriate icon.

How can I draw the boundary automatically?

You can draw the boundary automatically by following these steps:

Select an appropriate colour from the drop-down list (red or blue) as provided.
Select the “click on the map to draw boundary” button from the toolbar.
Select the desired property from the selected map.
You can modify the automatic annotations by selecting the appropriate tools provided on the tool bar.

How can I modify the automatically drawn boundary?

To modify the automatically generated boundary, you have to:

Delete a selected feature button:

Select the “Delete a selected feature” button and click on the object you want to delete.
It is not possible to delete all annotations at once. You have to delete each annotation individually.
If you want to delete a different type (i.e. colour) of annotation other than the one selected, you have to change the type/colour selection from the drop-down list.

Drag a selected feature button:

Select the “Drag a selected feature” button and click on the object you want to drag.
Once the object is highlighted, the centre point will appear and you can drag it by using click and drag.

Rotate a selected feature button:

Select the “Rotate a selected feature” button and click on the object you want to rotate.
Once the object is highlighted you can rotate it by using click and drag on a point which will appear on one of the object’s corners.

Resize a selected feature button:

Select the “Resize a selected feature” button and click on the object you want to resize.
Once the object is highlighted you can resize it by using click and drag the point which will appear on the bottom right hand side of the object.
Drag towards or away from the centre of the object to decrease and increase the size respectively.

What are the different colors that can be chosen for annotations?

You can choose either red or blue colours for your drawing from the drop-down list;

"Site boundary colour (red)" Red Line: The application site should be edged clearly with a red line. It should include all land necessary to carry out the proposed development) –for example, land required for access to the site from a public highway, visibility splays, landscaping, car parking and open areas around buildings.
"Other land owned (blue)" Blue Line (to annotate other land owned): A blue line should be drawn around any other land owned by the applicant, close to or adjoining the application site.

What are the different functions of annotation toolbar?

The annotation Toolbar is in five rows; by default the pan tool is selected.

Drag mouse (Click and hold to drag view, double click to centre, mouse wheel zoom)
Zoom in box
Zoom out box
Move the order area
Site boundary Colour (red)
Other land owned (blue)
Draw boundary automatically
Draw a new point
Draw boundary free hand
Draw new feature
Draw a new regular polygon/circle
Delete a selected feature
Drag a selected feature
Rotate a selected feature
Resize a selected feature
Line measurement Tool
Regular Polygon measurement Tool
Polygon measurement Tool

How to move the order area?

To move the order area:

Select one of the available products located at the bottom section of the “Make a new order” so that the order area bounding box appears.
Select the “Select the order area to move” button and click on the order area bounding box (yellow) to select it.
Move the order area to any desired area within 36 Hectares by using click and drag on the bounding box.

How can I re-centre the map?

To re-centre the map click on the globe button, this is located between the maps pan buttons, this selection allows the centre position to be changed.

How can I include the annotations I created in my order?

To include the annotations you created tick on the box “include annotations”. This option is ticked on by default. If you don’t want to include annotations made, you can uncheck this option).

What else is included in my order?

In addition to the map, your ordered map contains the following items:

North arrow
Scale bar in metres
Scale ratio (ex. 1:500)
Centre coordinates in the Cartesian coordinate system (ex: X: 484871, Y:155547)
Search address
Corner coordinates at the 4 corners
Reference number
Ordnance survey & Stanfords logos

Measurements

How can I measure the length of a line?

To measure the length of a line:

Select the “Line measure tool” button and create a line.
Results will be displayed on the screen in metres on completion of the line.

How can I measure the perimeter and area of a circle?

To measure the perimeter and area of a circle:

Select the “Regular polygon measure tool” and create a circle.
Results will be displayed on the screen in metres and hectares on completion of the circle.

How can I measure the perimeter and area of a polygon?

To measure the perimeter and area of a polygon:

Select the “Polygon measure tool” and create a triangle or a polygon of your liking.
Results will be displayed on the screen in metres and hectares on completion of the polygon.

Why is the measurement accuracy degraded?

Please be aware that the measurement accuracy of the measure tools obviously degrades as you zoom out. As such, these tools should only be used at the higher zoom levels. Measurement accuracy is also determined by the accuracy of the data being measured.

Registration

How to register with the Stanfords Portal System?

To register with the Stanfords Portal,

Registration can be done by clicking the register link on the login page; following this you can fill the registration form out.
Note: To complete registration you will be automatically taken to a WorldPay account where a one-off administrative charge of £1.50+VAT will be levied. Following successful registration, you will receive a confirmation email providing instant access to the service using your unique, secure log in details.

Which maps are the standard required products for “Make a new order”?

The standards products are,

Customers requiring 1:1250 scale maps for planning permission will find that 1 hectare will be sufficient for this purpose. The standard required product is either 4 hectares at 1:1250 scale in an urban area or 16 hectares at 1:2500 scale in rural locations.
Local authorities sometimes do ask for smaller areas (often referred to as Block Plans) but these maps are produced on A4 at an increased scale – 1:500. For further information about which product you might need please consult our product guide.

Can I use the map for any other purposes other than Planning?

You need an extra license to use the map for any other purposes other than for “Make a new order”. If you require using a map for any other purpose then please contact our team at digital@stanfords.co.uk

How can I get the Invoice enabled account?

This facility is only available to repeat business customers using in excess of £1000 of mapping in a calendar year.

What are the charges for registering, viewing and purchasing from the Stanfords Portal?

The following charges apply to Registering, Viewing and Purchasing Products from the Stanfords Portal:

Registration Charge: £1.50+VAT
View Charge: Please refer to the pricing policy on the links at the bottom of every page.
Product Prices: Please refer to the pricing policy on the links at the bottom of every page.

Ordering a Product

How can I a purchase a product/How can I pay for an order?

You can make a payment by 2 methods:

Pay by Invoice
Pay by Worldpay

We accept payment by Visa Credit, Visa Delta, Visa Electron, MasterCard, Maestro, JCB or Solo (UK only) cards.
Payments are handled on our behalf by WorldPay and you will be redirected to their site after confirming the details of your order.
To be able to pay by invoice please contact Stanfords Business Mapping on 0845 880 3730 to discuss your requirements.

Can I cancel my order while purchasing through Worldpay?

While buying a product with Worldpay, you can cancel your order at any time of purchase. Once, you have cancelled your payment you will receive the following message:

“Thank you, your payment has been cancelled Merchant’s Reference (Order ID): Oxxxx"

Please contact WorldPay immediately if there has been a problem making your payment.

Can I return the damaged product to Stanfords?

You can return the damaged product to the Standfords by filling the Return form, which is located at the Stanfords Return Form link. Send the product to the following address:

Stanfords Returns

Stnafords Business mapping

Triangle Business Centre

Fennel Street

Exchange Square

Manchester

M4 3TR

UK.

How can I select a different output format? (eg. PNG, TIFF, PDF, DOC)

You can select the data format from the drop box provided in the basket page when completing your order or after adding products to the basket.

Will I be charged the same for different data formats? (eg. PNG, TIFF, PDF, DOC)

Data prices depend on the area and the scale of the map but not on the format within each product category. (N.B. Paper sizes are not available for more that 25 hectares).