Catalogue description Ministry of Transport and successors: Trunk Roads Land: Registered Files

Sections of the former references of the files stand for, firstly the particular road, secondly the administrative county or district, and thirdly the subject sub-theme.

Following the passage of the Trunk Roads Act of 1936, responsibility for a national network of routes for principal roads was transferred from local authorities to the Ministry of Transport, though county and county borough councils carried out detailed management on an agency basis.

The Roads Department which had direct control for all highway matters exercised by the Ministry. In 1937 the Department was dissolved and responsibility for trunk roads and land acquisition was transferred to the section of the newly created Highways Division. In 1940 the Highways Division was amalgamated with parts of the Traffic and Safety Division to form Highways Administration. In 1946 responsibility for trunk roads and land acquisition was allocated to the newly created Highways (Trunk Roads) Division, which was one of three divisions created from Highways Administration and formed part of the Highways Administration Group.

In March 1955, under a departmental reorganisation of the Highways Administration Group, land acquisition and management was allocated to the newly created Highways general Division. In June 1956, following a further reorganisation of the group, responsibility was transferred to the newly created Highways Land and Closures Division. With the start of the motorways programme in the 1950's the scope of the files functions was expanded to include motorways.

By June 1960 the division had become part of Highways Group as a result of a fragmentation of the Highways Administration Group. Shortly after this the Highways Administration Group was further reorganised and land matters became the province of Highways Land and Development Division of the Lands and Contracts Group.

In 1964 responsibility was transferred under a further reorganisation to the Highways Land and Legal Division of Highways Group 4. In April 1967 the regional road construction units were set up and they acquired the functions and the files of Highways Land and Legal Division.