Public Health Act 1875

42 Local authority to provide for cleansing of streets and removal of refuse.

Every local authority may, and when required by order of the Local Government Board shall, themselves .undertake or contract for—

• The removal of house refuse from premises ;

• The cleansing of earth closets privies ashpits and cesspools ; either for the whole or any part of their district: Moreover every urban authority and any rural authority invested by the Local Government Board with the requisite powers may, and when required by order of the said Board shall, themselves undertake or contract for the proper cleansing of streets, and may also themselves undertake or contract for the proper watering of streets for the whole or any part of their district.

All matters collected by the local authority or contractor in pursuance of this section may be sold or otherwise disposed of, and any profits thus made by an urban authority shall be carried to the account of the fund or rate applicable by them for the general purposes of this Act ; and any profits thus made by a rural authority in respect of any contributory place shall be carried, to the account of the fund or rate out of which expenses incurred under this section by that authority in such contributory place are defrayed.

If any person removes or obstructs the local authority or contractor in removing any matters by this section authorised to be removed by the local authority, he shall for each offence be liable to a penalty not exceeding five pounds : Provided that the occupier of a house within the district shall not be liable to such penalty in respect of any such matters which are produced on his own premises and are intended to be removed for sale or for his own use, and .are in the meantime kept so as not to be a nuisance.