Statute Law Repeals - Law Commission - Ministry of Justice

Christchurch, Middlesex Act (1772)/ Christchurch, Middlesex Improvement
Act (1788)
6.44 These two late 18 th century Acts were passed to improve an area that is today
within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The preamble to the 1772 Act 81
recorded that the public passages and places within the parish of Christ Church
were “not properly paved, nor sufficiently cleansed, and are in general greatly
obstructed by sundry Nuisances.” Accordingly the Act appointed Commissioners
to arrange for the paving, repair and cleansing of the streets, the appointment of
a night watch and the levy of rates to pay for the works. The 1788 Act 82 was
passed to amend the powers provided by the 1772 Act and to raise additional
finance to carry out the necessary works.
6.45 Responsibility for providing public street cleaning, lighting, policing and road
maintenance has long ceased to vest in the parish but has passed to local and
county councils and the London boroughs. 83 Similarly the cost of providing these
services is no longer collected on a parish by parish basis. Today the
arrangements for making, levying and collecting local taxation are provided by
the Local Government Finance Acts 1988 and 1992. Accordingly the 1772 and
1788 Acts have long ceased to serve any useful purpose.
London Streets Act (1776)
6.46 This 1776 Act 84 was passed to provide for the lighting and policing of a road now
in the London Borough of Southwark. This road ran from the southern end of
Borough High Street to London Bridge. The preamble to the Act recorded that the
road was much used by night-time travellers and was not properly “lighted or
watched: and Robberies and other Offences are frequently committed therein”.
The Act accordingly appointed trustees to arrange for the lighting and watching of
the road, to appoint watchmen, to provide road lamps and to levy rates to cover
the costs.
6.47 The 1776 Act no longer serves any useful purpose. Responsibility for providing
street lighting and policing has long ceased to vest in the parish but has passed
to local and county councils and the London boroughs. 85 Similarly the cost of
providing these services is no longer collected on a parish by parish basis. Today
the arrangements for making, levying and collecting local taxation are provided
by the Local Government Finance Acts 1988 and 1992. Part 3 of the 1988 Act
relates to non-domestic rating whilst the 1992 Act provides for the council tax.
Since none of the services for which the 1776 Act was passed are today provided
or funded by parishes, the 1776 Act has become obsolete.
81 12 Geo.3 c.38.
82 28 Geo.3 c.60.
83 The Commissioners’ power under these Acts ceased in 1855 with the creation of the
Metropolitan Board of Works and devolved upon the Board of Works for the Whitechapel
District. Today the Commissioners’ functions are mostly vested in the London Borough of
Tower Hamlets.
84 17 Geo.3 c.23.
85 Policing expenditure is today covered by means of precepts issued by police authorities
under the Local Government Finance Act 1992, Pt 1.
182