Community right to buy: guidance for applications made on or after 15 April 2016

Annex C

1. This Annex describes how to use the Rural Communities Mapping Tool. This electronic tool has been designed to help CBs and Crofting Community Bodies ( CCBs) to identify their communities. As the definition of “community” is different in Part 2, Part 3 and Part 3A of the Act, there are features of the tool which are not relevant to the community right to buy. For Part 2, CBs can use the tool to identify, for example, areas of excluded land, postcode units, sectors, and settlement areas.

2. To utilise the full functionality of the Mapping Tool, you should disable any pop-up blocker on your browser.

1.1 Available layers in the tool

Area boundaries

• Excluded land – show excluded land under the terms of the Act. These areas are updated on a regular basis and show land which cannot be registered under the Act.
• Parishes – show agricultural parish boundaries.
• Wards – show Electoral Wards. Ward names can be found by using the “Identify All” button, noted below.

Postcodes

• Postcode Unit – show postcode units. Please note that postcode units can only be viewed under 1:50,000 scale.
• Postcode Sector – show postcode sectors. Please note that postcode sectors can only be viewed under 1:200,000 scale.

Settlements

• Settlements 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006 – show the settlement boundaries using General Register Office for Scotland data. By activating more than one of these, boundary changes become more apparent.

Base layers

• Base layers – show major cities. We would advise not to adjust the default setting for these layers.

1.2 Layer options

• Please check the boxes of the relevant layers that you wish to see. Bear in mind that checking a number of boxes at the same time may lead to the “view” being unclear and overly congested.
• Options can be opened up by clicking on the “folder” sign. Please ensure that to access the newest layer of an option (e.g. Settlements). Please ensure that the one with the latest date is checked.

1.3 Radio buttons

3. These circular buttons determine which layer is “Active”. For example, if the “Postcode Unit” button is checked, when you use the “Identify All” button along the top edge of the viewable area and click on the map itself, postcode information on that part of the land will be brought up in a separate window. The same applies for each of the options to which radio buttons are attached.

1.4 Buttons above the map

4. The buttons above the map are:

• Print Map – opens a new window where Print options will be shown.
• Clear Map – clears the map of any draw lines or other marked selections.
• Whole Map – shows the whole map i.e. the view will revert to that at the start of the session.
• Last Map – shows the previous view of the map i.e. one step back, akin to an “undo”.
• Show Legend – shows/hides the legend of the map. It also helps to show what layers are active.
• Zoom In – click on this to activate. Place cross-hair on the map, left click and hold mouse then drag over the required area. That area will be zoomed into. Scale is shown on the bottom left of the screen.
• Zoom Out – click on this to activate. Place cross-hair on the map, left click and hold mouse button then drag over the required area. That area will be zoomed out. Scale is shown on the bottom left of the screen.
• Move View – click on this to activate. Place cursor onto map, left click and hold mouse button to move the viewable area.
• Find – click on this to activate. A new window will appear which will allow you to search the OS Gazetteer, as will the button at the bottom of the page.
• Identify All – click on this to activate. Please see above at “Radio buttons”.
• Measure – click on this to activate. Click onto the map at two or more points to show the distance between them or a cumulative total distance.
• Circle Select – click on this to activate. A new window appears. Adjust the pull down to show the requested radius, then click “draw the selection circle”. Click on the map at the required spot to show a highlighted radius from that point.
• Square Select – click on this to activate. Ensure the relevant active layer is activated. Place cursor onto map, left click, hold mouse button and draw required shape. Once the shape is complete the information will appear (dependant on what layers are “active”).
• Line/polygon Select – click on this to activate. A new window will appear. Click on map at point to draw the required shape (e.g. following postcode boundaries). Once the shape is complete, click on “Finish Shape”. You can then print off this map with the required shape shown. This will be a useful tool in creating a community boundary map.

1.5 Search buttons (bottom right)

5. The search buttons on the bottom right are:

• Postcode search – allows you to search for a specific postcode unit, sector, and districts. If searching for a postcode sector or area a new window will appear showing all postcodes contained therein. Please note that Large User postcodes will not appear on the view/listing.
• Place search – allows you to search by place name (settlement, town, city, etc) and to search by O.S. Grid References or by X and Y co-ordinates.