What is open data?
Open data is all about 'opening up' non-personal data held by the government and making it freely available to you.
This idea is underpinned by the philosophy that data generated or collected by organisations in the public sector should belong to the taxpayers, wherever financially feasible and where releasing it won’t violate any laws or rights to privacy (either for citizens or government staff).
Open data is information that:
- is free to use for any legal purpose under the Open Government Licence
- contains no personal data and meets Data Protection Act legislation
- is published in a form that makes it easy to manipulate in software like mobile apps.
A list of bus stops, details of train timetables or information about healthcare providers in your area are examples of open data.
When the data is structured in a certain way, enabling it to be combined with other data to create something new, it becomes known as linked data. For example, combining a list of bus stops with postcode data to create a map of bus stops near your home.
The aim of open and linked data is to allow you to view information, and re-use it in useful ways which can help increase access to public services for everyone.
Our open data
Our catalogue of open data sets:
Advice centre open data set
This data set contains information about our advice centre.
- Data items: name, address, longitude, latitude
- Download advice centre data set (CSV 1KB)
Air quality monitoring stations
This data set contains information about air quality monitoring stations in Belfast.
- Data items: Location name, X coordinates, Y coordinates, sampler height, type, pollutants, measured, location type, diffusion analysis lab
- Download air quality data set (XML)
- Download air quality data set (CSV)
This data set contains information on air quality monitoring stations in Belfast including location, height and pollutants checked for. This does not include air quality data. This is available from Northern Ireland Air website.
Notes
One node called station for each monitoring station. Location info in Irish Grid.
Data provided under Open Government Licence.
Belfast Bike hire stations
This data set contains information on the locations of the Belfast Bike hire stations.
Data items: Station Number, Location, BNG X coordinates, BNG Y coordinates, latitude, longitude, IG Easting, IG Northing
- Download Belfast Bike hire stations data set - updated on 25 June 2021 (CSV 10KB)
Belfast Bike live data
These data sets contain regularly updated information on the locations of the Belfast Bike hire stations and available bikes.
Data items: Station UID, Latitude, Longitude, Station name, Spot, Station Number, Number of booked bikes, Number of bikes, Bikes available to rent, Bike racks, Free racks, Free special racks, Terminal type, Bike numbers, Bike types, Place type, Rack locks, Bike number, Bike Type, Lock types, Active, State, Electric lock, Onboard computer, Pedelec battery
- Download Belfast Bike hire stations and available bikes data set (JSON 77 KB)
- Download Belfast Bike hire stations and available bikes data set (XML 58 KB)
Belfast Bike historical data
These data sets contain information on all trips taken using Belfast Bikes since they were established.
- Belfast Bike historical data (link opens in a new window)
Bottle banks open data set
This data set contains information about our bottle banks.
- Data items: name, address, longitude, latitude
- Download bottle banks data set (CSV 5KB)
Bowling pavilions open data set
This data set contains information about our bowling pavilions.
- Data items: name, address, longitude, latitude
- Download bowling pavilions data set (CSV 2KB)
Car parks open data set
This data set contains information about our car park locations and car park tariffs.
Car park locations
- Data items: name, address, postcode, non-designated bays, X coordinates, Y coordinates, latitude, longitude, blue badge bays, family friendly bays, e-car bays, tariff, charged hours
- Download car park locations data set (CSV 8KB)
Car park tariffs
- Data items: name, tariff, 0 to 1 hours, 1 to 2 hours, 2 to 3 hours, 3 to 4 hours, 4 to 5 hours, 5 to 6 hours, 6 to 7 hours, 7 to 8 hours, 8+ hours, monthly season ticket
- Download car park tariffs data set (CSV 4KB)
Cemeteries open data set
This data set contains information about our cemeteries.
- Data items: name, address, longitude, latitude
- Download cemeteries data set (CSV 1KB)
City parks open data set
This data set contains information about our parks.
- Data items: name, address, longitude, latitude
- Download parks data set (CSV 4KB)
Civic amenity sites open data set
This data set contains information about our civic amenity sites.
- Data items: name, address, longitude, latitude
- Download civic amenity sites data set (CSV 1KB)
Community centres open data set
This data set contains information about our community centres.
- Data items: name, address, longitude, latitude
- Download community centres data set (CSV 3KB)
Food premises hygiene data set
This data set contains information about food premises, such as restaurants and takeaways, in Belfast. This includes the name and address of premises as well as their food hygiene inspection rating between 1 and 5.
- Data items: name, address, postcode, rating, building ID, latitude, longitude, inspection date
- Download food premises hygiene data set (XML)
- Download food premises hygiene data set (CSV)
Notes
One node called <restaurants> exists for each food premises in the dataset. Co-ordinates are in latitude and longitude format. The X coordinate and Y coordinate elements give the location in Irish Grid format.
Leisure centres open data set
This data set contains information about the leisure centres we own.
- Data items: name, address, longitude, latitude
- Download leisure centres data set (CSV 1KB)
Play centres open data set
This data set contains information about our play centres.
- Data items: name, address, longitude, latitude
- Download play centres data set (CSV 1KB)
Playgrounds open data set
This data set contains information about our playgrounds.
- Data items: name, address, longitude, latitude
- Download playgrounds data set (CSV 7KB)
Public toilets open data set
This data set contains information about our public toilets.
- Data items: name, address, RADAR key, baby changing facilities, longitude, latitude
- Download public toilets data set (CSV 5KB)
Recycling centres open data set
This data set contains information about our recycling centres.
- Data items: name, address, longitude, latitude
- Download recycling centres data set (CSV 1KB)
Sport pitches and playing fields open data set
This data set contains information about our sports pitches and playing fields.
- Data items: name, address, longitude, latitude
- Download sports pitches and playing fields data set (CSV 4KB)
Trees data set
This data set contains information about the trees located on Belfast streets.
- Data items: type of tree, species type, species, age, description, surround, vigour, condition, diameter, spread, X coordinates, Y coordinates, longitude, latitude, tree tag, height
- Download tree data set (XML)
- Download tree data set (CSV)
Notes
One node called <belfasttrees> exists for each tree in the dataset. Co-ordinates are in Irish Grid and latitude/longitude formats. The date tag contains the date the dataset was created.
If there is a data set not in the list, that you would like us to consider making available, email [email protected]
Other sources of open data
Find open data (link opens in new window) has open information about Northern Ireland including:
- employment surveys
- hospital waiting lists
- births, deaths and marriages statistics.
Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (link opens in new window) also have datasets covering:
- crime and justice
- population and migration
- labour market.
For more information about open data in Northern Ireland, visit OpenData NI (link opens in new window)