Sandie Dawe, Chief Executive, VisitBritain: "We're pleased that Google has increased its coverage of places in Britain. Visitbritain.com and Google Street View are increasingly becoming the first places people turn to when planning a visit to one of Britain's many world-class attractions. Whether it's shopping or museums; coastal towns or countryside; ancient history or ultra modern architecture, our potential visitors can dip in and find something to inspire them to visit our shores." Nigel Lewis, Property Expert at FindaProperty.com: ""We are proud to continue our partnership with Google Street View. We have provided the tool to our users since its launch in the UK, and to see it grow into one of the most indispensible tools available to house hunters is fantastic. Giving our users the best tools to assist with their search is fundamental to our site objectives, and Street View enables a more in-depth search experience. To prove its appeal, over 80% of polled FindaProperty.com users said Street View was an important tool in their property buying process." Alex Chesterman, CEO of property website Zoopla.co.uk: "Google Streetview is a great tool that has been integrated into our website since it first launched. Being able to offer street level imagery for the whole of the UK is an invaluable feature for our users as they search for homes to buy or rent and do their research on current home values and recent sold prices. Zoopla.co.uk is all about providing useful tools to our users help them make better informed property decisons and Google Streetview is an important part of that mission.” Gordon Butler, founder of FancyaPint.com: "We provide our site visitors with the best possible information about where they are going to go before they visit and Street View takes this to a new level - it's practically the next best thing to being there. With our guide and Street View's imagery, visitors are instantly familiar with their destination the moment they step from the plane, train, bus or taxi. And, now with imagery for so many new places in UK enriching our site even more, we've given people yet another reason to use Fancyapint.com." Nicole Vanderbilt, CEO of mydeco.com (whose Street View shopping guide will be available on Thursday on www.maps.google.co.uk/streetview) "We know that Brits love discovering hidden gems when designing and shopping for their home. That's why excited to have created a special Street View guide so avid shoppers can discover what we, at mydeco.com, think are the best places to do this in the UK. You can check it out here: maps.google.co.uk/streetview" Leeds University Student Union “Google Street View is an invaluable tool for students. Whether it is used for scouting out potential accommodation, to checking the route home before a night out – I know thousands of students like myself use Street View on a daily basis to make life that little bit easier.” Councillor Kate Dean, responsible for Enterprise at Aberdeen City Council: "Google Street View has enabled tourists to walk down an Aberdeen street on their computers galvanizing them to visit in person. Street View has been a useful tool in promoting Aberdeen and opening up our heritage to a wider audience. We look forward to the surrounding towns and villages appearing on Street View encouraging more people to visit and enjoy the history and architecture, lochs and mountains on our door step." Councillor James Alexander, City of York Council: “After some initial concerns were put to rest, Google Street View has been an invaluable tool used by professionals in York. It is often used by people either moving or thinking of moving home as well as Council staff who look for the physical realities of city strategy concerns received from residents. It has helped me represent residents in a better way by being able to see their physical concerns first hand while talking over the phone and without the need for a site visit. The tool has been invaluable.” What others have said about the Best Streets Awards Councillor for Hillhead, Glasgow, Bailie Hanzala Malik "It’s great news for Glasgow to have so many nominations for these awards because over recent years the city has flourished with a speed and vision that hasn’t been witnessed elsewhere in Britain. The West End in particular is diverse and exuberant, with plenty to offer a very mixed community. If it is judged fairly then I think it will be impossible for Bryers Road or Ruthven Lane to lose."Councillor Steve Morphew, Norwich I am proud and delighted that Gentleman's Walk has been recognised by Google as one of the premier fashion streets in the UK. I would like to encourage people not just to enjoy it virtually but come and take a look at it personally as well. It is wide and tree-lined, featuring three department stores, the largest Monday to Saturday market in England, and premier high street fashion names - as well as artwork, coffee shops, an historic arcade and lively street trading." Southwold Deputy Mayor, Teresa Baggott We do have a fabulous selection of pubs, restaurants and shops. They are all different and this is the appeal. We have thousands of people flock to the town year after year with different budgets. You can get anything in Southwold from a sandwich to a three-course haute cuisine meal. All of our food, beers and wine are of extremely high quality.” What people said when we launched Street View for the first time in 2009: Boris Johnson, Mayor of London london.gov.uk "London's unique beauty, splendour and energy is truly illuminated in cyberspace with this superb new tool. It is simply fascinating, even for a Londoner like me to whiz over Westminster Bridge past the Houses of Parliament, soak up the majesty of Regent's Park, take in the stupendous views from Primrose Hill or simply wander around the streets near where I live. It's also a hugely practical tool if you're off to an area of the city you've never been to before or are on the hunt for new home. For visitors to this great city it is surely set to become an indispensable source of information, an essential holiday guide, that will help them to get even more of their stay. It will, I believe, also give them the confidence to go beyond the well worn path of central London and discover those hidden gems in our outer boroughs. An exciting and welcome outcome for visitors and businesses in London alike." Visit Britain visitbritain.co.uk Mike Bedingfield, Director of Britain Marketing, VisitBritain "We're very excited to be working with Google on the launch of StreetView in the UK. The internet is an incredibly rich resource for raising awareness of destinations and driving travel to and around Britain and StreetView is a real opportunity for Britain to showcase its destinations to millions worldwide. Seeing some of our globally-renowned attractions – a mix of old and new – up close, could inspire many more people to visit our shores. Our partnership with Google for this project will also mean Street View explorers can find information about the different destinations and attractions, as well as value for money experiences, on visitbritain.com." FancyaPint fancyapint.co.uk Gordon Butler - founder Fancyapint.com "We're very excited about Street View. When we first started Fancyapint.com in the 1990s, imagery was a key factor in the design of the guide. Pictures not only help visitors make up their own minds about a place, but they also help them to find it when they eventually visit. Google's Street View takes this idea to a whole new level." The Tate tate.org.uk Will Gompertz, Director, Tate Media, "Tate is delighted to be working in partnership with Google. By using this new technology to integrate works from the Tate Collection into Google Street view, we are putting art in a new context which brings a fresh perspective. This is a great way to get people to look at art differently and to relate it to everyday life." Geography Association geography.org.uk Alan Parkinson, Secondary Curriculum Development Leader "Street View now adds a new dimension to Google Maps & Google Earth, with the opportunity to create an immersive urban experience for students, few of whom may have the opportunity to physically roam the streets of major world cities. The geography curriculum offers numerous opportunities for the virtual urban explorations that Street View makes possible. Of course the real action will begin when the current cohort of creative and ICT literate geography teachers and student get their hands on Street View and start to explore the possibilities further." FindaProperty.com findaproperty.com Chris Boorman, Head of Product Development “We are delighted to have Streetview on FindaProperty.com as it offers our visitors a new and unique way to view the location of properties and save time in their search. It's an amazing tool that will allow our users to see each property and its surroundings and help them get a real feel for the area without having to physically be there. For those who are searching for a new place to call ‘home’, the search just got easier!” Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) ico.gov.uk “Following publicity about vans collecting images of streets preparatory to the future launch of the Google Streetview service in UK, the ICO had a further meeting with Google to understand the steps they are taking to address privacy concerns. We are satisfied that Google is putting in place adequate safeguards to avoid any risk to the privacy or safety of individuals, including the blurring of vehicle registration marks and the faces of anyone included in Streetview images. Although it is possible that in certain limited circumstances an image may allow the identification of an individual, it is clear that Google are keen to capture images of streets and not individuals. Further there is an easy mechanism by which individuals can report an image that causes them concern to Google and request that it is removed. Images are not 'real time' and there is a delay between taking an image and its publication so that it could not be used to make decisions about an individual's current whereabouts."Where's Wally findwally.co.uk Wally, international adventurer "For a wanderer like me this is really exciting development, and for all you Wally Watchers, there is a whole new way to find me! Who knows where I might turn up next!" |
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