Background

The Homes and Communities Agency in 2008, commissioned a bespoke land management system to reduce their exposure to Commons Act (2007) applications. The Environment Partnership held the landholding management contract for the north of England and in collaboration with Michell Computing, designed a comprehensive suite of procedures and computer systems to fulfill this requirement.

This system was adopted by HCA and named Procura. The key software component was the bespoke field recording application. This was developed by Michell Computing based around our own mapping engine and GPS positioning software. Other elements included an ESRI ArcMap based reporting tool and a Microsoft Access based work management database. This system was also adopted in the southern region for use by RPS who held the contract there.

In 2011 HCA decided to consolidate the consultancy into one national contract. This was won by TEP who then re-engaged Michell Computing to migrate the two regional databases onto a new central system. The field inspection system was also considerably enhanced to encompass additional inspection procedures and to facilitate remote data transfers with the new central server.

Development Process

The Homes and Communities Agency commissioned a bespoke land management system to reduce their exposure to Commons Act (2007) applications. Michell Computing was engaged to develop and maintain the software used by The Environment Partnership's surveyors in the field and also the reporting systems used by the estate managers back in the office. The field tool consists of a bespoke mapping system that captures hand drawn and GPS generated geographic information along with surveyor's observation data. This is stored in a custom XML format and then transferred back into a central PostgreSQL server system used to store the HCA's national landholdings inspection data.

Technical Description

The Homes and Communities Agency commissioned, in 2008, a bespoke land management system to reduce their exposure to Commons Act (2007) applications. The Environment Partnership held the landholding management contract for the north of England and with Michell Computing, designed and developed a comprehensive suite of procedures and computer systems. This system was named Procura and the key software tool was the bespoke field recording application. This was designed and developed by Michell Computing and was also adopted in the southern region for use by RPS who held the contract there.

In 2011 HCA decided to consolidate the consultancy into one national contract. This was won by TEP who then re-engaged Michell Computing to migrate the two regional databases onto a new central system. The field inspection system was also considerably enhanced and extended to encompass additional inspection procedures and to facilitate remote connections to the new central server.

Future Developments

to was engaged to develop and maintain the software used by 's surveyors in the field and also the reporting systems used by the estate managers back in the office. The field tool consists of a bespoke mapping system that captures hand drawn and GPS generated geographic information along with surveyor's observation data. This is stored in a custom XML format and then transferred back into a central PostgreSQL server system used to store the HCA's national landholdings inspection data.