By-laws under the Municipal Corporations Act: building controls in the 1870s

Abstract

Although the Municipal Corporations Act 1867 was the first to permit local authorities to make by-laws which could impact on buildings, the coverage was expanded in the Municipal Corporations Acts of 1876 and 1886. The 1867 Act by-laws dealt with combustible materials in roofs and chimneys, distance between buildings, height and thickness of party and external walls, manufactory buildings and the erection of tents. The 1876 Act adds construction and materials of fireplaces, furnaces and chimneys, and the 1886 adds public health, lighting and gas and porters. The three top topics (by count) in the Acts were transport, sanitation and public facilities followed by buildings. The model codes provided in the Acts were inadequate for buildings, so by examination of three 1870s codes (Timaru, Auckland and Wellington) it is shown how the (London) Metropolitan Building Acts of 1844 and 1855 provided suitable details for practical by-laws. Links to Britain through imports of house construction technologies and materials are also discussed.