UK Postcode to Street Name database?

[ghell]

Traditionally this kind of stuff is really really expensive in the UK, and I have had little luck finding a free solution.

All I want to do is enter a postcode and house number and get it to complete the address, like many large applications and websites do.

However, I am a student and need the functionality for a project I have to do, preferably for free or relatively cheap

I found a lot of free post code to longitude/latitude but no post code to street.

Does anyone know anything I can use?

[onmoon]

see this page, which can show you that I have the thing you want.
http://map.onmoon.net

If you're interested, send me email or PM me.

[ghell]

This is not what I want, it is simply using http://maps.google.co.uk (which is probably illegal unless you have googles permission)

I want to put in something like LS6 2DB and a house number such as 41 so that (41, LS6 2DB) -> "41 Shire Oak Road, Leeds, LS6 2DB".

This sort of thing can be seen from http://allyours.virginmedia.com/websales/service.do?id=2 which uses the royal mail's database (which is very expensive to get a copy of)

http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/addressfinder?catId=400145&pageId=pcaf_a_search&gear=postcode
This is the royal mail search page (which has a limited number of searches per user per day)

http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/jump2?mediaId=400085&catId=400084
This is the page where you can buy a copy for £150 (but thats only a single user licence, provides no updated data in the future and typically requires a lot more of their products to actually use the database even for a simple application)

[onmoon]

Hi, mate,

Yes, this page is developed with google map's API, but it is legal for everyone to use and develop, which you can check on google's offical map.

But that's not the point. I just use google map to visualise the thing i want to show. Ok, you said when you input "LS6 2DB", you should get the address. Seems that you didn't look my page carefully, or maybe just close it. Just input the postcode you want to query, and push the button or enter. Then, you will see a msg says that "The location of XXX XXX", and below it is a link "Click to see address(es) list", once you click it. You will see a select list beneath the map.

[ghell]

Ok sorry for dismissing it so fast, but how does this part of the page (http://map.onmoon.net/index.php?street_pc=LS6 2DB) get its data?

[onmoon]

I said that I have the database

[ghell]

Sorry, didn't read the title of your first message.

Well, if you have the database and its not legal for other people to use your copy of the database (I assume I can't legally just query that page, even if I have your permission, as it is only a small project that will only be used during development and never be used in production), how can I use it in my application?

EDIT: Also, how out of date is your copy of the database, because I have a post code that I know is correct but comes up as N/A

[onmoon]

Hi,

This database is not bought from somewhere. Does it mean that I still need a permission from someone or some company I don't know at all, royal mail?

You saw "N/A", because you just visited the link address which is not supposed to be visited like the way you did. That's a sort of protection. If you just use the main page to query, you will see what you want to query.

[ghell]

Where did you get it from then? I expect they have a licence agreement somewhere that explains all the legal issues. If someone just gave you a copy of the database (or access to theirs) then they or you are probably breaking licence agreement.

The post code I checked (LS2 9AA) is for a block of flats that is only 2 or 3 years old (the arial image of it does not appear on google maps, but google maps postcode search will find it, as will the royal mail search at http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/addressfinder?catId=400145&pageId=pcaf_a_search&gear=postcode ) and all the other residential post codes that I tried directly on that page worked fine.

The reason royal mail issues these licences is because the surveys have been done and are updated by people on behalf of the queen (same as ordanence survey maps are property of the MOD which is pretty much owned by the queen) They are expensive because only large organisations would need a copy of the database. If you also got the data from some googles API, you should prob check its licence agreement for use (as even google will have had to buy it with a licence from the royal mail at some point, and I expect that licence doesn't allow free public distribution and use)

[onmoon]

No, I don't have a friend who is rich enough to buy this stuff. I just download from their database. lol, you must say I breach something...

Anyway, I leave it for personal use and I don't think royal mail will check that page and ask me about license. But it's really a problem, this data is quite big, you can't say that you made it yourself or got it from somewhere..

[AhJai]

Hi, is there a way i can have a copy of your database?