Local Administrative Units Level 1 Boundaries for England and Wales, December 2015

December 2015 digital vector boundaries for local administrative units (LAU1) in England and Wales. The dataset contains five boundary versions at different resolutions, from full resolution to ultra generalised (500m), with file sizes ranging from 225 KB to 30 MB. It is provided by the Office for National Statistics and contains Ordnance Survey and ONS intellectual property rights.

Use Cases

• Create thematic maps based on LAU1 boundaries for England and Wales.
• Perform spatial analysis using the super generalised (200m) boundaries for faster processing.
• Integrate administrative boundaries into web mapping applications via the provided ArcGIS REST services.
• Analyze coastal administrative extents using the full resolution boundaries clipped to the Mean High Water mark.

Strengths

• Provides five distinct boundary resolutions, including super generalised (200m) and ultra generalised (500m) for different performance needs.
• File sizes are explicitly listed, with the ultra generalised version being 225 KB, suitable for lightweight applications.
• Boundaries are available as of a specific date (December 2015), providing a consistent snapshot.
• Includes access via multiple ArcGIS REST services for direct programmatic use.

Limitations

• Data is from December 2015 and may not reflect subsequent boundary changes.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The description does not specify the number of individual LAU1 units or the exact geographic coordinate system.

Provenance

Source

Office for National Statistics (UK), Ordnance Survey

Collection Method

Likely digitized and generalized from official cartographic sources.

Time Range

December 2015

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-08 13:30:32.174336; freshness should be verified as the underlying data is from 2015.

Geography

England and Wales