The value of the Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN)

Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN)

The Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN) is the unique identifier for every addressable location across the UK.

An addressable location may be any kind of building, or it may be an object or place that might not have a ‘normal' address – such as a telecommunication mast or a car park for example. UPRNs provide every property (or object/place) with a consistent identifier throughout its lifecycle, from naming/numbering to demolition

Who allocates Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN)?

UPRN's are allocated by local authorities from a range of numbers provided by the national hub at GeoPlace.  Local authorities have statutory permission to name and number every street and property in Great Britain and also allocate UPRNs to addresses.

The UPRN and Carmarthenshire County Council

UPRN’s for addresses within Carmarthenshire County Council are allocated by the Address Custodian. Once an address is given an official address by the Street Naming and Numbering officer in Planning, and allocated a postcode by Royal Mail, the address is added into the LLPG (Local Land and Property Gazetteer) where it is allocated a UPRN.

The LLPG forms the corporate address gazetteer for internal services such as the Geodiscoverer web mapping, CRM customer services, external website lookups for refuse collections, ‘in my area’ web mapping, payment and ordering lookups and problem reporting as well as many internal databases.

The UPRN provides a link to addresses held in internal databases, where the address can be held in different formats, the UPRN ties them all together.

The LLPG and UPRN are also used externally by Emergency Services, other authorities, utility companies etc, and are fed into a commercial Ordnance Survey product called Addressbase for external customers to purchase under licence.

Please contact Carmarthenshire County Council Address Custodian for further information.

Why do we need Unique Property Reference Numbers (UPRN)?

Unique and authoritative, the Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN) is like a National Insurance number for physical objects. Everything in Great Britain can be identified with a UPRN.

This authoritative ‘code' can be used to create trusted connections between disparate sources of information sharing a common characteristic: location. Even if there are other issues with the datasets, the UPRN is a simple and unique reference point.

Crucially, when organisations add the UPRN to any kind of data, they can link matching records in different databases together. This means fewer errors in data exchange and communication, but far greater efficiency in all kinds of operations.

Many technologies can be used to share the UPRN, including spreadsheets, databases, XML/GML schema and linked data. Groups already using the UPRN include local and central government bodies, the emergency services, insurance providers, and utility companies.

For advice on how to add the UPRN to your address database and link addresses to the LLPG, please contact the Address Custodian.