Just like everyone has a national insurance number and every vehicle a number plate, every address has a Unique Property Reference Number and every street has its own Unique Street Reference Number. They are the golden thread of the UK's world leading addressing system.
To recognise their importance, the Open Standards Board has mandated that they will now be the standard way of referencing and sharing information about properties and streets across government to improve services and outcomes for citizens such as helping to improve fraud detection, creating better waste collection routes, more accurate insurance quotes and house buying processes.
Minister for Housing Rt Hon Christopher Pincher said:
"I am delighted by today's announcement and encouraged by the new opportunities this presents to digitally transform public services and boost our economy.
"This is the most powerful boost for the UK PropTech sector in a generation, unlocking new levels of digital innovation on a national scale. Open identifiers are crucial for tech entrepreneurs and wider industry - they will enable housing developers to find sites that have the most potential, helping deliver much-needed new homes across the country.
"This is an important milestone in the Government's commitment to maximising the value of geospatial data."
