> Tom's suggestion below is exactly what I have started doing
> with the frequent contracting users and it has proved to be
> very efficient and far less tedious to implement. The danger
> of too steep an enquiry cost is that all important HER
> enquiry this will be bypassed by whatever means (especially
> given current and future developments in online access).
I'd concur with that. I think our issues started with the EIAs for
windfarms, which regularly require me to filter 1200+ records (all sites
within 10km of the footprint) finding out which ones are planning
constraints, then delivering a 600+ record extract along with the half dozen
or so relevant GIS layers. At that stage, £250 for a day's work seems
reasonable, and the feedback from contractors is that it is well worth it to
save them four or five days work trying to do the same thing from other
sources (none of whose data is complete as the SMRs anyway). These are a
completely different kettle of fish from Tom wanting data on a single site.
Our potential new rate is also based on the fact that the local Environment
Record Centre (who do stuff like RAMSARs, SSSIs, Local Biodiversity sites,
etc) has a minimum £250 charge.
Whether the management recognise that there are two orders of magnitude for
enquiries is another issue. We could always raise the account option with
them, if they do decide on such a high minimum flat rate.
Andy
Andrew Nicholson
SMR Officer
Planning and Environment (Archaeology)
Dumfries and Galloway Council
Tel: 01387 260154
Fax: 01387 260149
mailto:[log in to unmask]
http://www.dumgal.gov.uk
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