Altofts Local Board

The Altofts Local Board was an early form of local governance in the village. It was created after the Public Health Act 1848 which gave local government powers in dealing with health issues. It ceased to exist following the Local Government Act 1894, and was replaced with the Altofts Urban District Council.

Powers

Per the Public Health Act, the Altofts Local Board had the following powers and responsibilities:

1. They could appoint council workers such as surveyors, clerks, treaasurers and an officer of health. An "Inspector of Nuisances" was required for investigating any public safety complaints.
2. They took ownership of all public sewers within their assigned district, and had the right to purchase any private sewers.
3. They took ownership of all public streets, and had the right to decide on paving them and private streets if necessary. However they were required to clean these streets to protect public health.
4. They had the option of providing public restrooms.
5. Any abbatoirs were to be regulated.
6. They could purchase land.
7. Land under their control could be turned into parks or other places of recreation.
8. They could supply water to the town, but only if private companies were not supplying it.
9. They could apply to the General Board of Health (The Home Secretary, post-1858) to close graveyards if full, and could provide places for the dead to be kept prior to burial.

Following the Local Government Act 1858, the following powers were also given:

1. Removal of obstructions and nuisances in the street
2. Fires and fire prevention powers.
3. Provision and control of places of public resort
4. They could regulate the business of hackney carriages in the district.
5. Provision of public bathing houses
6. They had the right to decide street names and assign numbers to houses.
7. They could straighten roads to better the flow of traffic.
8. They could demolish delapidated buildings.
9. Provision of public clocks

History

In 1886, the Local Board began talks with representatives of various rail companies in securing funding for a road linking Normanton Bridge to the railway station itself.