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.
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Class B, access to a highway could be withdrawn via a restriction on the building usually through a previous planning application or via an Article 4 restriction in a conservation area etc.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: 4th February 2025