Catalogue description Local Government Board: Turnpikes and Highways Department and Sanitary Department: Highway Boards, Correspondence and Papers

The Public Health Act 1872 transferred to the Local Government Board from the Home Office the powers and duties of the secretary of state in regard to highways, turnpike trusts and bridges in England and Wales. The department was responsible for correspondence on these matters, administration of the parliamentary grants-in-aid of disturnpiked and main roads and the preparation of parliamentary returns relating to turnpikes and highways. Under the Highways and Locomotives (Amendment) Act 1878 expenses incurred by Highway Boards were, after 25 March 1879, to be paid for out of a common district fund, replenished by a common rate, while their accounts were to be subject to an annual external audit.

The Local Government Board was responsible for the audit of these payments. In 1884 the department was dissolved and its work in connection with parliamentary grants was transferred to the Chief Clerk's Department, the collection of statistics to the Statistical Department and the remainder of its functions to the Sanitary Department.

The department was formed in 1872 from the clerical staff of the former Local Government Act Office of the Home Office. The Engineering Inspectorate was also taken over as a subdepartment responsible to it. The department took over all the work of the Local Government Act Office with the exception of that relating to byelaws and audit appeals, and was therefore responsible for supervision of local government services in the field of environmental health.

Applications for loan sanctions from sanitary authorities were considered by the department while the relevant plans were examined by the engineering inspectorate, and when the formal sanction of the board was obtained the instrument was framed and issued by the department. From 1888 it also dealt with approval of loans to municipal corporations, a function previously performed by the Treasury, as well as those to the new councils established by the Local Government Act of that year. The remaining financial powers of the Treasury under local authority enactments were transferred in 1906.

The department was also concerned with applications for provisional orders under the Public Health Act 1875 and other acts authorising compulsory purchase of land and the constitution and revision of sanitary districts, but the actual drafting of the order and its passage through Parliament was dealt with by the Order Department. From 1888 the Sanitary Department was responsible for preliminary work in connection with the alteration of the boundaries of municipal boroughs and electoral divisions.

Until 1878 the department was charged with ensuring that loans advanced by the Public Works Loan Board to local authorities were spent on the intended purpose, but this function then passed to the Metropolitan Common Poor Fund and Loans Department. The department was also responsible for the supervision of water undertakings outside London. Later a special Water, Sewerage Disposal Branch was formed.

Inspection and public enquiries were conducted by the engineering inspectors on behalf of the department, and in 1911 a geological adviser was appointed to provide professional advice on general problems of water resources and specific water undertakings. In March 1919 a public cleansing and sanitary inspector was appointed. From 1884, when the Turnpikes and Highways Department was dissolved, the department was responsible for correspondence relating to highways and turnpike trusts.