Access onto a classified road: when permission is needed
Part 2 Class B of the GPDO 2015 excludes trunk and classified roads, so a new access onto an A, B or C road needs an application. Here is the evidence the highway authority will expect.
A new vehicular access onto a classified road always needs planning permission. The permitted development right for forming an access, in Part 2 Class B of Schedule 2 to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, applies only to a highway that is neither a trunk road nor a classified road, and only where the access is needed in connection with other development permitted by the same Schedule. So if your site fronts an A, B or C road, the question is not whether you need permission for a new access onto a classified road. It is what evidence the highway authority will want with the application.
The permitted development position for a new access
Class B is narrower than its reputation. It permits the formation, laying out and construction of a means of access to a highway, subject to two conditions that do most of the work. The highway must not be a trunk road or a classified road. And the access has to be required in connection with development permitted by another Class in Schedule 2, other than Class A of Part 2 itself.
The second limb catches people out. An access formed purely for convenience, with no permitted development behind it, is not covered. A new drive serving an existing house, where no other permitted works are proposed, falls outside Class B and needs an application even on an unclassified road, unless the works themselves do not amount to development at all.
Then there are the general exclusions. Permitted development rights are removed or restricted where an article 4 direction is in force, where a planning condition on an earlier permission takes them away, and on land where the right has never applied. Check the planning history of the property before you assume anything.
Why classified and trunk roads are excluded
Classification reflects function. A classified road carries through traffic at higher speeds and in greater volume, and the consequences of a poorly sited access are measured in collision risk rather than inconvenience. Parliament left those roads to be considered case by case, which is why the Order draws the line where it does.
Classification is a matter of record held by the highway authority. Road numbers give you a strong hint, because A and B roads are classified by definition, but C roads carry no visible number on signs and are easy to mistake for unclassified lanes. Ask the highway authority to confirm the classification in writing before you decide which route to take. And remember that a road can be classified along one length and unclassified along another.
Trunk roads and the strategic road network
Trunk roads and motorways are a separate tier again. National Highways is the highway authority for the strategic road network in England and a statutory consultee on development that would affect it. Its approach is set out in the government circular on the strategic road network and the delivery of sustainable development, which explains when the body expects to be consulted, the mitigation it looks for, and its position on new accesses.
Direct access onto a trunk road for a small scheme is rarely acceptable. The usual answer is access from the local road network, even where that means a longer route or a shared arrangement with a neighbour. Where a scheme would materially intensify use of an existing trunk road access, expect that intensification to be assessed as if it were a new access.
Highway consent is a separate permission
Planning permission does not give you the right to touch the highway. Two Highways Act 1980 powers sit alongside it.
| Consent | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Section 184 licence | Constructing or altering a vehicle crossing over a footway or verge, including the dropped kerb |
| Section 278 agreement | Works to the public highway carried out by a developer at its own expense, under the authority's control |
| Section 50 licence | Placing or altering apparatus in the highway, where a connection is involved |
Both the section 184 crossing and any section 278 works are charged, inspected and specified by the authority, and the specification is often stricter than the planning drawing. A refusal of the licence can leave you with a permission you cannot implement, so raise the access construction detail with the highway team early. Surface water from a new drive has to be dealt with on site rather than run into the channel, and our note on highway drainage, gullies and who maintains them explains where responsibility divides.
Visibility splays on faster roads
Visibility decides most access refusals. The splay is described by two distances: the setback from the carriageway edge, usually 2.4m, and the sight line along the carriageway in each direction.
Manual for Streets gives stopping sight distances for lower speed residential streets, including around 25m at 20mph and 43m at 30mph, measured from a 2.4m setback. On roads above 40mph the authority will normally apply the longer stopping sight distances from the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges, which are considerably greater and frequently cannot be achieved within the frontage of a single plot.
Two practical points. The splay has to be within land you control or within the highway, because a sight line over a neighbour's hedge is worthless. And the splay must be kept clear in perpetuity, which is why authorities impose conditions limiting the height of planting and structures within it, typically to around 0.6m. Where the achievable sight line falls short, the fallback argument rests on recorded vehicle speeds rather than the posted limit, taken from a speed survey at the access location.
Illustrative example: a plot fronting a B road with a 30mph limit, where measured mean speeds are nearer 38mph. The applicant offers 43m splays taken from Manual for Streets. The highway authority asks for the distance appropriate to the measured speed instead, which the frontage cannot deliver without removing a mature hedge that is itself the subject of a Tree Preservation Order. The scheme is redesigned to use an existing shared access.
Shared and consolidated accesses
Reducing the number of accesses onto a classified road is usually a planning benefit, and consolidating two existing accesses into one well designed access can turn a difficult application around. Shared private drives bring their own issues over maintenance, visibility at the junction and turning space for refuse vehicles, which the layout must resolve.
Where an existing access is reused, make the intensification case honestly. Set out the existing and proposed vehicle movements, the turning provision inside the site so no vehicle reverses onto the classified road, and the refuse and delivery arrangements. On a minor scheme that sits in a Transport Statement, and on a larger one in a full Transport Assessment with trip generation evidence.
What to submit with the application
- A location plan showing the classification of the frontage road and the position of nearby accesses.
- A dimensioned access drawing with the splays, setback, bellmouth radii and gradient.
- Confirmation of the land ownership within the splays and the proposed boundary treatment.
- A speed survey where the posted limit and the measured speeds are likely to differ.
- Turning and manoeuvring areas inside the site, with vehicle tracking for the largest vehicle expected.
- Drainage of the access and the interception detail at the highway boundary.
- The written transport evidence proportionate to the scale of the proposal.
Where a scheme needs several of these documents at once, entering the postcode on PlanScope will show which reports the site is likely to need before you commission anything.
This is general guidance, not legal advice. Check the position with your local planning authority and the highway authority before relying on it, and confirm the road classification in writing.
PlanScope provides AI-assisted draft reports for planning applications. Reports should be reviewed before submission. We do not guarantee planning approval.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need planning permission for a dropped kerb onto an A road?
Yes. Part 2 Class B of the GPDO 2015 permits a new access only to a highway that is not a trunk road or a classified road, so an access onto an A road needs planning permission. You will also need a separate section 184 licence from the highway authority for the crossing itself.
How do I find out whether a road is classified?
Ask the highway authority to confirm the classification in writing. A and B roads are classified by their numbering, but C roads carry no number on signs and look like ordinary lanes. Classification can also change along the length of a road, so confirm it for the specific frontage rather than the route.
What visibility splay will the highway authority ask for?
It depends on the measured speed of traffic. Manual for Streets gives around 25m at 20mph and 43m at 30mph from a 2.4m setback on lower speed streets. Above 40mph, authorities generally apply the longer stopping sight distances in the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges instead.
Is planning permission enough to build the access?
No. You still need a section 184 licence for the vehicle crossing over the footway or verge, and a section 278 agreement where works are carried out in the public highway. Both are charged and specified by the highway authority, and the specification is often stricter than the planning drawing.
Can I use an existing access instead of forming a new one?
Often yes, and consolidating accesses onto a classified road is usually treated as a benefit. You will need to show the intensification honestly: existing and proposed movements, turning space inside the site so nothing reverses onto the road, and the refuse and delivery arrangements.
Does the splay have to be on my land?
It has to be within land you control or within the highway, because a sight line across a neighbour's garden cannot be kept clear. Expect a condition restricting planting and structures in the splay, commonly to about 0.6m in height, for as long as the access is used.
Sources and further reading
This article is general guidance about the planning system in England and, where stated, the rest of the UK. It is not legal or professional advice. Check your local planning authority’s validation requirements and take professional advice for your specific site.