Multi Agency Geographic Information for the Countryside (MAGIC)

Geographic information was fundamental to the delivery of an early shared service, the Multi-Agency Geographic Information for the Countryside (MAGIC) portal. An interactive map tool designed to support the policy development and management of different government organisations who all have responsibility for rural areas, MAGIC enables policy and decision-makers to examine land use, down to postcode level. This, in turn, facilitates decisions about planning and investment. For example, through MAGIC, it is easy to identify Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs): this information can then be used by the Department for Transport in planning roads, by local authorities in considering whether or not to grant planning permission, or by Defra in licensing particular types of farming close to an SSSI.