Hub Overview
Hub is a fully hosted web application that gives residents access to property specific information, access to download Open-Data and the ability to find interactive maps quickly. Fully responsive and accessibility compliant, Hub is built on the Government Design System framework
View the Hub Brochure
Features:
There are three key features to Hub, which customers can opt 'in' or 'out' of:
- 'Find My Nearest'
- Open-Data
- Map Directory
Each of these features are updated through a dedicate HUB API what is populated through a Postgres View. We support customers in building the database views / Hub APIs.
'Find My Nearest'
The 'Find My Nearest' pages allow customers to display subject specific content, called Channels. The content of a channel is based on an address search, and displayed on the Hub page based on either a UPRN match or proximity to address.
Each Hub channel page has its own unique URL based on a UPRN. This enables residents to bookmark specific pages. This removes the frustrations of accessing unnecessary content, and also avoid having to repeatably do postcode and address searches to access content.
Hub Channels
Out of the box Hub is supplied with a wide range of channels / APIs (listed below).
- Planning Applications
- Waste Collection (Collection day)
- Polling Stations
- Building Control
- Local/District Plans
- Councillors, MP, Crime Commissioner
- Ward, Parish
- Council Tax
- Heritage and Conservation (Conservation Areas, Listed Buildings, Locally Listed Buildings)
- TPOs
- Greenbelt
- National Landscapes (AoNB)
Creating new Hub APIs is quick and simple to achieve, so please do get in contact with us if you would like to see more channels added.
UPRN specific Channels:
Channels such as Waste Collection and Polling Stations are UPRN specific. This means that the source table must contain a UPRN for the channel content to be returned to Hub.
Proximity based Channels:
Channels such as Planning, Building Control, Democracy and Local/District Plans are proximity based, and return Channel context based on the proximity of these features to the users chosen address. They do not (necessarily) need to contain a UPRN.
Open-Data
Hub gives customers the ability to automatically publish Open Data, and list this on the Hub pages.
Data is published as a GML, GeoJSON, GeoPackage and zipped SHP files, plus customers can also opt to provide links to WMS/WFS feeds as well. We also offer the ability to integrate Hub with data.gov.uk via a harvester file.
Through our datasync application, built into the backend of XMAP, updates to the Hub Open-Data pages occur on either a scheduled basis or when the source data is updated.
Map Directory
Hub allows customers to publish, in the form of a centralised list, all the maps that are currently avalible on the councils website. This is not limited to just Public Maps created in XMAP, but can be any map that has a hyperlink. Such as PDF, ONS or Google map.
The aim of Map Directory is to allow GIS leads to quickly list maps that are available to the public and maintain their currency. In addition the GIS can then point the Web/Media/Comms teams to a centralised list of up-to-date maps.
Related Articles
Overview of Views
Summary: This article covers the concept of Hub Views and how they relate to the source table of data. If you are not familiar with Postgres views, then we would recommend having a read of this article, but as part of the Hub implementation we will ...Creating Hub Maps links
Populating the Source table: To published a new link on the Hub Maps page you need to update the gx_hub.open_maps source table. There are various ways to do this either through Dbeaver, PG-Admin or QGIS. Please contact your Account Manager to discuss ...Creating Hub Open Data feeds
Populating the Source table: To published a new Open-Data set to the Hub Open-Data pages you need to update the gx_hub.open_data source table. There are various ways to do this either through Dbeaver, PG-Admin or QGIS. Please contact your Account ...Details of change
August 2024: Hub webpages: Greater ability to customise Headings and Sub-Headings Ability to customise breadcrumbs and Quick Links Hub Channels: Addition of TPO, Heritage and Environment Channels Hub APIs: Addition of new APIs for TPO (TPO channel), ...Before you begin
Prerequisites: Postgres/PostGIS: For customers to use Hub they are required to have a PostGIS (PG) instance, running at a minimum of version 16. If a customer is hosting the PG instance themselves then Geoxphere will require additional admin rights ...