BUSINESSES in York are being given access to open data, bringing together information from public, private and third sector organisations.

City of York Council has launched a new website giving residents and businesses free access to information about their city in a bid to enable new solutions to challenges such as those around sustainability, transport, energy and community engagement.

York Open Data is a place for businesses and organisations to publicly share their data so that anybody can connect to hundreds of up-to-date, searchable data sets and use them to make a difference in their local area.

The site has around 250 initial data sets which cover a range of topics such as council and city performance, community assets and individual business sectors in York.

Over the next few months, new data sets will be published regularly from sectors and individual organisations across the city.

A series of York Open Data events will be held over the spring and summer to bring together public, private and third sector organisations with the open data community and enthusiasts to spark new projects, create new products and improve services and the community.

The first of these is on the evening of April 20 at the council’s West Offices.

The site is funded by an Innovate UK and NESTA grant and is run by the council.

Ian Floyd, director of customer, Business and Support Services responsible for Audit and Governance at the council said: "York Open Data gives the council further ability to release information in a structured fashion to help meet the various enquiries and requests that are received by the council about the data that it holds, as well as be a portal to meet the councils responsibilities under the transparency code."