Road classification and notification of changes to the of the Primary Route Network

From April 2012, the process for a local authority to communicate changes to the Road Classification and Primary Route Network is being administered by GeoPlace on behalf of the Department for Transport.

The system of roads classification is intended to direct motorists towards the most suitable routes for reaching their destination. It does this by identifying roads that are best suited for traffic.

All UK roads (excluding motorways) fall into the following four categories:

• A roads – major roads intended to provide large-scale transport links within or between areas.
• B roads – roads intended to connect different areas, and to feed traffic between A roads and smaller roads on the network.
• Classified unnumbered - smaller roads intended to connect together unclassified roads with A and B roads, and often linking a housing estate or a village to the rest of the network. Similar to ‘minor roads’ on an Ordnance Survey map and sometimes known unofficially as C roads.
• Unclassified – local roads intended for local traffic. The vast majority (60%) of roads in the UK fall within this category.

Road classification uses a common system of route numbering, which is centrally administered for England and Wales by the Department for Transport.

The primary route network (PRN) designates roads between places of traffic importance across the UK, with the aim of providing easily identifiable routes to access the whole of the country. Primary routes are marked green on most road maps, as opposed to the more common red of an ordinary A road; and road signs are green with white and yellow text.

More information can be found here…
Guidance on Road Classification and Primary Route Network.pdf (pdf download)

The DfT has provided a standardised form for communicating any changes to the road classification and/or the Primary Route Network to interested parties. This can be found here:
Road Classification Change Form – Master.xls (xls download)

Once complete , the form along with any supporting documents, should be sent to:
roads.classification@geoplace.co.uk

The form and supporting documents will be automatically distributed to the following bodies:

• Department for Transport – For coordination purposes and to allow allocation of national road numbers.
• Ordnance Survey - To be included on OS mapping products.

If you need to send the form and documents to any other organisation, please send it to them directly.

In order to be valid, any changes to either Roads Classifications or the Primary Route Network must be recorded in the authority's monthly update to the National Street Gazetteer. These must be submitted in the month following the requested change, and all subsequent months.

For any questions or further information about this process please contact: roads.classification@geoplace.co.uk