Royal arms

Local Government Act 1894

1894 CHAPTER 73 56 and 57 Vict

An Act to make further provision for Local Government in England and Wales.

[5th March 1894]

Part I Parish Meetings and Parish Councils

1—4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F1

Powers and Duties of Parish Councils and Parish Meetings

5†Parish council to appoint overseers.

(1)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F2

(2)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F3

(a)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F2

(b)

references in any Act to the churchwardens and overseers shall, as respects any rural parish, except so far as those references relate to the affairs of the church, be construed as references to the overseers,

(c)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F4

6 Transfer of certain powers of vestry and other authorities to parish council.

(1)

Upon the parish council of a rural parish coming into office, there shall be transferred to that council:—

(a)

The powers, duties, and liabilities of the vestry of the parish except—

(i)

so far as relates to the affairs of the church or to ecclesiastical charities; and

(ii)

any power, duty, or liability transferred by this Act from the vestry to any other authority:

(b)

The powers, duties, and liabilities of the churchwardens of the parish, except so far as they relate to the affairs of the church or to charities, or are powers and duties of overseers . . . F5

(c)

The powers, duties, and liabilities of the overseers or of the churchwardens and overseers of the parish with respect to—

(i)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F6

(ii)

The provision of parish books . . . F7 or matters relating thereto; and

(iii)

The holding or management of parish property, not being property relating to affairs of the church or held for an ecclesiastical charity, and the holding or management of village greens, or of allotments, whether for recreation grounds or for gardens or otherwise for the benefit of the inhabitants or any of them;

(d)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F8

(2)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F9

(3)(4)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F10

7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F11

8 Additional powers of parish council.

(1)

A parish council shall have the following additional powers, namely, power—

(a)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F12

(b)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F13

F14(c)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(d)

. . . F15 sections one hundred and eighty-three to one hundred and eighty-six of the M1Public Health Act, 1875, shall apply. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F15 as if the parish council were a local authority within the meaning of those sections; and

(e)(f)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F16

F17(g)

to acquire by agreement any right of way, whether within their parish or an adjoining parish, the acquisition of which is beneficial to the inhabitants of the parish or any part thereof; and

(h)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F18

(i)

to execute any works (including works of maintenance or improvement) incidental to or consequential on the exercise of any of the foregoing powers, or in relation to any parish property, not being property relating to affairs of the church or held for an ecclesiastical charity; and

(k)

to contribute towards the expense of doing any of the things above mentioned, or to agree or combine with any other parish council to do or contribute towards the expense of doing any of the things above mentioned.

(2)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F18

(3)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F19

F20(4)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F21

10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F22

11, 12.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F23

13. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F24

14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F25

15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F26

16. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F27

17, 18.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F28

19 Provisions as to small parishes.

In a rural parish not having a separate parish council, the following provisions shall, . . . F29 subject to provisions made by a grouping order, if the parish is grouped with some other parish or parishes, have effect:—

(1)—(3)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F30

(4)

All powers, duties, and liabilities of the vestry shall, except so far as they relate to the affairs of the Church or to ecclesiastical charities, or are transferred by this Act to any other authority, be transferred to the parish meeting;

(5)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F31

(6)(7)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F32

(8)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F33

(9)—(11)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F32

F3419APowers under other enactments

(1)

Nothing in this Part affects any powers, duties or liabilities conferred on a parish council by or under any other enactment (whenever passed or made).

(2)

This section does not apply in relation to community councils (see section 179(4) of the Local Government Act 1972).

Part II Guardians and District Councils

20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F35

21 Names of county districts and district councils.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F36,—

(1)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F37

(3)

In this F38and every other Act of Parliament, unless the context otherwise requires, the expression “district council” shall include the council of every urban district, whether a borough or not, and of every rural district, and the expression “county district” shall include every urban and rural district whether a borough or not.

22—24.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F39

25†Powers of district council with respect to sanitary and highway matters.

(1)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F40

(2)(3)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F41

(4)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F42

(5)(6)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F43

(7)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F44

26†Duties and powers of district council as to rights of way, rights of common, and roadside wastes.

(1)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F45

(2)

A district council may with the consent of the county council for the county within which any common land is situate aid persons in maintaining rights of common where, in the opinion of the council, the extinction of such rights would be prejudicial to the inhabitants of the district; F46...

(3)

A district council may, for the purpose of carrying into effect this section, institute or defend any legal proceedings, and generally take such steps as they deem expedient.

(4)—(6)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F45

F47(7)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

27 Transfer of certain powers of justices to district councils.

(1)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F48 the powers, duties, and liabilities of justices out of session in relation to any of the matters following, that is to say,—

(a)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F49

(b)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F50

F51(c)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(d)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F52

(e)

the abolition of fairs and alteration of days for holding fairs;

(f)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F52

when arising within a county district, shall be transferred to the district council of the district.

(2)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F53

(3)

All fees payable in respect of the powers, duties, and liabilities transferred by this section shall be payable to the district council.

28, 29.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F54

30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F55

31. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F56

32. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F57

33. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F58

34. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F59

35. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F60

Part III

36—42.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F61

Part IV Supplemental

43, 44.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F62

45. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F63

46. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F64

47. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F65

48. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F66

49. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F67

50. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F68

Parish and District Councils

51. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F69

52†Supplemental provisions as to transfer of powers.

(1)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F70

(2)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F71

(3)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F72

(4)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F73

(5)

All enactments in any Act, whether general or local and personal, relating to any powers, duties, or liabilities transferred by this Act to a parish council or parish meeting from justices or the vestry or overseers or church wardens and overseers shall, subject to the provisions of this Act and so far as circumstances admit, be construed as if any reference therein to justices or to the vestry, or to the overseers, or to the churchwardens and overseers, referred to the parish council or parish meeting as the case requires, and the said enactments shall be construed with such modifications as may be necessary for carrying this Act into effect.

53. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F74

54–59. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F75

Miscellaneous

60, 61.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F76

62. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F77

63. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F78

64. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F79

65 Saving for harbour powers.

Where any improvement commission affected by this Act have any powers, duties, property, debts, or liabilities in respect of any harbour, the improvement commission shall continue to exist and be elected for the purpose thereof, and shall continue as a separate body, as if this Act had not passed, and the property, debts, and liabilities shall be apportioned between the district council for the district and the commission so continuing, and the adjustment arising out of the apportionment shall be determined in manner provided by this Act.

66. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F80

67 Transfer of property and debts and liabilities.

Where any powers and duties are transferred by this Act from one authority to another authority—

(1)

All property held by the first authority for the purpose or by virtue of such powers and duties shall pass to and vest in the other authority, subject to all debts and liabilities affecting the same; and

(2)

The latter authority shall hold the same for the estate, interest, and purposes, and subject to the covenants, conditions, and restrictions for and subject to which the property would have been held if this Act had not passed, so far as the same are not modified by or in pursuance of this Act; and

(3)

All debts and liabilities of the first authority incurred by virtue of such powers and duties shall become debts and liabilities of the latter authority, and be defrayed out of the like property and funds out of which they would have been defrayed if this Act had not passed.

68, 69.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F81

70. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F82

71. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F83

72, 73.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F84

74. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F85

75 Construction of Act.

(1)

The definition of “parish” in section one hundred of the M2Local Government Act, 1888, shall not apply to this Act, but, save as aforesaid, expressions used in this Act shall, unless the context otherwise requires, have the same meaning as in the said Act.

(2)

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F86
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F87
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F87
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F87
The expression “ecclesiastical charity” includes a charity, the endowment whereof is held for some one or more of the following purposes:—
1. (a)
  for any spiritual purpose which is a legal purpose; or
2. (b)
  for the benefit of any spiritual person or ecclesiastical officer as such; or
3. (c)
  for use, if a building, as a church, chapel, mission room, or Sunday school, or otherwise by any particular church or denomination; or
4. (d)
  for the maintenance, repair, or improvement of any such building as aforesaid, or for the maintenance of divine service therein; or
5. (e)
  otherwise for the benefit of any particular church or denomination, or of any members thereof as such.
Provided that where any endowment of a charity, other than a building held for any of the purposes aforesaid, is held in part only for some of the purposes aforesaid, the charity, so far as that endowment is concerned, shall be an ecclesiastical charity within the meaning of this Act; and the F88Charity Commission shall, on application by any person interested, make such provision for the apportionment and management of that endowment as seems to F89it necessary or expedient for giving effect to this Act.
The expression shall also include any building which in the opinion of the F90Charity Commission has been erected or provided within forty years before the passing of this Act mainly by or at the cost of members of any particular church or denomination.
The expression “affairs of the church” shall include the distribution of offertories or other collections made in any church.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F87
The expression “vestry” in relation to a parish means the inhabitants of the parish whether in vestry assembled or not, and includes any select vestry either by statute or at common law.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F91
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F87
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F87
The expression “local and personal Act” includes a Provisional Order confirmed by an Act and the Act confirming the Order.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F87