Free Our Flood Mapping!

A recent article on this Mapperz Blog showed OnOneMap Maps (using Google Maps API) was better than the Environment Agency own Online Mapping.
http://mapperz.blogspot.com/2007/06/environment-agency
-adds-pollution-maps.html

But due to the nature of 'public' data the Environment Agency has told OnOneMap to remove this service as the data is their copyright - excuse me but this is UK tax payers money

"We have had to withdraw our popular and innovative flood map layer, ironically and sadly during one of the worst periods of flooding the UK has ever experienced. The Environment Agency claims they have copyright over the information, and despite the fact that tax-payers’ money has paid for it to be collected in the first place, apparently the tax-payer cannot benefit from innovations like our housing and flood map combination.

For more information on the lack of access the British public have to their data, visit The Guardian’s Free Our Data campaign."

Mapperz hoped the Guardian is reading about this!

Yes they have

http://technology.guardian.co.uk/weekly/story/0,,2118152,00.html

Free Our Data Please. So we can make use of it and provide useful services to the public - like property mapping. Knowing if your house is 'likely' to flood before buying it.