Leicester and Leicestershire go live on Google Street View - at last!
It has been a long wait but from tomorrow internet users will be able to take a virtual stroll along our streets.
A year after Google launched Street View for many parts of Britain, the service is finally going live in Leicestershire.
The internet giant has sent its camera cars along every public road in the county, collecting photos which it has turned into 360-degree pictures online.
The images show homes, shops and takeaways, street signs, landmarks and football grounds.
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In other parts of the country, potential house buyers have used Street View to check areas from the comfort of their homes.
Faces and number plates are painstakingly obscured for privacy.
For 12 months, the website provided Street View coverage of 25 UK cities – including Derby and Nottingham – as well as towns such as York, Scunthorpe and Norwich, but not Leicestershire, to the consternation of its proud residents.
Until now, only major roads such as the M1 were shown, as well as – by chance – Wymeswold.
Leicester City Council leader Ross Willmott wrote to Google last year to complain that the city had been omitted.
He said he was pleased people around the globe would now be able to familiarise themselves with city streets, attractions and businesses.
He said: "People are increasingly using Google to find out about places and there should be the same opportunity to do that here, as in any other place."
Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce managing director Martin Traynor said: "As well as being something to satisfy people's curiosity about what Leicestershire is like, it will offer many advantages from a business angle and put the county in a new shopwindow."
But Hazel Smith, Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator for Barwell, said: "It's going to feel like you've got Big Brother hanging over you.
"The problem is that you could get the wrong sort of people looking at it."
Shop assistant Abdur Rahman, 33, of Queen Street, Loughborough, was looking forward to seeing his road.
He said: "It will be interesting to see how it appears and it doesn't worry me too much that anyone in the world could take a look at my front door."
Student Lindsey Powell, 18, from Sileby, said: "Whatever people say, I can't imagine it will lead to a crime wave or anything like that."
Google said it was aware of concerns about loss of privacy.
As well as automatically blurring number plates and faces, it will remove properties from the images on request.
Spokeswoman Laura Scott said: "From about midnight on Thursday, there will new images available for the whole of Leicestershire, more or less.
"We have travelled down every public road, as far as we know.
"We are aware of the concerns expressed but there is nothing that cannot be seen should a member of the public walk a street themselves.
"If we get requests to remove houses, we will do it, normally within hours."
Comments
by Dave, H&B
Wednesday, March 10 2010, 3:00PM
“Ahahah, I was joking yesterday with colleagues saying that some backward countryside villages in Cumbria had been done and nothing in Leicestershire... Like no one is interested in us, we just don't exist.
Maybe I was wrong... :)”
by Robert Jamieson, Notts
Wednesday, March 10 2010, 1:39PM
“Loved the comment from the Neighbourhood Co-ordinator for *Barwell* suggesting that it's going to feel like Big Brother is watching over you.
Given quite recent disturbing events in that area we can only hope that Big Brother will indeed keep a better watch on Barwell.
Robert”
by A, Leicester
Wednesday, March 10 2010, 1:13PM
“Oh God, I hope I cleaned the windows and my curtains are straight. What will the neighbours, Internet, World say!”
by Tom, Leicester
Wednesday, March 10 2010, 12:51PM
“I saw the Google street car last year on 1st July 2009 in Wigston, it was an Opal (vauxhall) Astra with a large tripod on top, so images should be in good weather as it was boiling.
Been waiting for them to do Leicester for nearly a year supprised it was not one of the first.
With regard to crime I think this street view is no problem, its what it says 'street view' exactly what you would view on a street by walking down it. More dangerous as people have said are bing maps which gives a low angle aerial view of buildings from any direction N S E W, or lots of websites which show aerial/satellite photos of every inch of the UK, and what found was exact co-ordinates of army bases, neuclear submarines, royal palaces, power stations etc. The only reason people moan about street view is because they can see it and feel invaded by a car with a camera.
I think its a good use of technology though!”
by Paul, Leicester
Wednesday, March 10 2010, 12:48PM
“Its a great bit of kit. For you Gavin and Stacey fans type in Laburnum Grove, Dinas.”
by Julie, Leicester
Wednesday, March 10 2010, 12:45PM
“Given that court reports suggest that a large number of burglaries are committed by addicts wanting money to buy more drugs I would doubt that those drugs would improve computer literacy enough to allow them to 'case out' houses beforehand on street view...”
by Mark, Thurnby Lodge
Wednesday, March 10 2010, 11:55AM
“House numbers are certainly visible and not all car number plates have been obscured (take Hazel Drive in Coventry CV6 7 as an example).
However love the concept and I've wasted no end of time exploring new places that I'm thinking of visiting.”
by Albert Berer, St Peters, Leicester
Wednesday, March 10 2010, 11:50AM
“It will be interesting to see what Google street view shows of St Peters.
St Peters Neighbourhood Monitoring emailed out local housing office a year ago or so to warn them that leicester city council would be found out for their overflowing palladin bins outside the multi occupancy buildings throughout St Peters and then they would not be able to point a finger at residents who let their wheelie bins over fill.
We are sure you will be able to see overflowing bins on it and so promise to links to these from our website as soon as we find them.
Look out also for the Leicester City Council repairs \ voids dept flytipped waste laying around the neighbourhood at the main entrances to the buildings. See the Peter's Neighbourhood Monitoring group website.
Unless of course the Street view car happened by just after the bins were emptied, then LCC should count themselves lucky to avoid the shame and humiliation.
Agree or disagree. Tweet us on @StPetersNM”
by mark, Coalville
Wednesday, March 10 2010, 11:00AM
“Reminds me of a sketch from "fools and horses" where Rodney pretends to live in a big house instead of a high rise. Address will mean everything. Future employers will be able to check out where you live. New partners will be able to spy on your parents to see if they are minted. All the information to check out a crime will be at the click of a mouse. For most of us it will be a bit of fun but for others, i'm not so sure.”
by Eco Worrier, Houghton
Wednesday, March 10 2010, 10:05AM
“Honest John, sorry to say mate, but you are wrong. This information is already out there, on sites like "live local" where you can get good arial views down to door level detail. Most criminal activity is opportune, not planned, and those that are planned would do this research anyway. The good news is that house breaking is reducing due to the lower cost of most portable consumer gear. Bring it on I say, very interesting stuff!”