Highways Agency - Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers

Policy Guidance

Tourist Signs - Policy Documents

A revised version of the tourist signs explanatory booklet "We're just off the main road - advice on traffic signs for tourist businesses in England" was published in March 2005, to include updated addresses for regional tourist organisations on page 5. The booklet was first published in 2004 by the Highways Agency, the Department for Transport, the Department for Culture Media and Sport and Visit Britain (formerly the English Tourism Council).It replaced "We're just off the motorway" published by the English Tourism Council in 2000.

The booklet is aimed at owners and operators of tourist destinations in England. It is an updated version of the leaflet previously issued in 2000 and is a layman's guide to brown tourist signs in England. In March 2005, DfT sent copies to all local authorities in England, to regional tourist organisations and to Government Office regional signs officers.

Following a joint review by DfT and HA, a new standard was issued in February 2004 for tourist signing on the trunk road network (TD 52/04) and new guidance was issued for the local road network (TA 94/04) in England. In addition, a common introduction was provided to introduce both documents (TA 93/04).

Circular Roads 3/95 and the Highways Agency Annex (both published in 1995) were withdrawn with effect from Friday 28.11.03. However, for tourist signing on and within the M25 / A282 orbital route, to destinations located within the M25, the guidance entitled "Tourist Traffic Signs Inside the M25" which came into effect on 3 February 1997, continues to apply. For the avoidance of doubt, for tourist signing on and within the M25 / A282 orbital route, to destinations located outside the M25, TD 52/04 has applied with effect from Friday 28.11.03.

The three documents are available via the links below. Their publication in the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges by the Stationery Office is in the usual two columns per page format.

In 2004, DfT sent a letter to all local traffic authorities in England and to all who were consulted during the tourist signs review, advising them of the publication of the three new documents:

• TA 93/04 Guidance For Tourist Signing - Introduction (PDF).
• TD 52/04 Tourist Signing - Trunk Roads (PDF).
• TA 94/04 Guidance For Tourist Signing - Local Roads (PDF).

Standard Directional Signs to Retail Destinations and Exhibition Centres in England and Wales.

Following a HA and DfT tourist signs review public consultation exercise, a new policy document was published in February 2005 on the provision of traffic signs on trunk roads in England and Wales to retail parks, shopping centres, garden centres and exhibition centres. The Design Manual for Roads and Bridges Standard TD 53/05 sets out policy on the provision of traffic signs to retail destinations and exhibition centres on motorway and all purpose trunk roads in England and Wales. The document can be purchased from The Stationery Office:

• TD 53/05 Traffic Signs to Retail Destinations and Exhibition Centres in England and Wales - Trunk Roads (PDF).