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Class B – means of access to a highway

 

You may construct a driveway or access to a property on a highway that is not a trunk road or a classified road. Note that this applies to houses, businesses or land.

If the property is on a classified road or a trunk road then you will need permission from the local authority for your access.  Likewise you will need permission from the local authority to cross a footway at the side of the highway when linking the access, or indeed any land owned by a third party.

access to a property

The Classified Road Network is made up of the following categorisation of roads:

  • Motorways (M) (Maintained by the Highways England)
  • Trunk Roads (Maintained by the Highways England)
  • Principal (A) Roads (Maintained by the Highways Authority – could be the same as the Local Authority or could be county based)
  • Classified (B) Roads – Numbered (Maintained by the Highways Authority – could be the same as the Local Authority or could be county based)
  • Classified Roads –  C or unnumbered (Maintained by the Highways Authority – could be the same as the Local Authority or could be county based)
  • Unclassified Roads

You can use Find My Street to see if your road is classified. 

Class B, access to a highway could be withdrawn via a restriction on the building usually through a previous planning application or via an Article 4 restriction in a conservation area etc.

Note that this might be used in conjunction with other PD rights such as removal of a wall or fence or erection of a new fence, wall or gate for example.

This new access might be used by farmers in conjunction with a new private road or private way on their land. See Class A of Part 6

 

Legislation

Class B – means of access to a highway

Permitted development

B. The formation, laying out and construction of a means of access to a highway which is not a trunk road or a classified road, where that access is required in connection with development permitted by any Class in this Schedule (other than by Class A of this Part).

 

Updated: 2nd July 2024