Case Study: Powys County Council visualises Post Office closure impacts and keeps communities informed with Ordnance Survey mapping

Powys County Council - Customer Case Study

Powys County Council’s Research and Information Unit was asked to assess the impact of Post Office Limited’s proposals to close five Post Offices and replace 17 with outreach services across mid‑Wales. The council needed travel‑distance analysis that accounted for terrain and the road network rather than straight‑line estimates, and engaged Ordnance Survey using products such as OS MasterMap Integrated Transport Network Layer, Routefinder, ADDRESS-POINT and OS OpenData to support the study.

Using Ordnance Survey data and Routefinder, the team created catchment‑area profiles and recalculated real travel distances to each of the 22 threatened Post Offices, integrating ADDRESS-POINT to disaggregate census data for vulnerable groups. The Ordnance Survey‑based mapping produced clear visualisations that helped inform residents and councillors, supported cross‑sector sharing with first responders, reduced licensing administration (no upfront PSMA cost) and delivered revised catchments and actionable evidence for local decision‑making.

Powys County Council

Sue Beetlestone

Corporate GIS Officer