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The table below sets out the main functions and powers of local councils. It is only a summary and does not contain every single power or function.As a general rule, local councils are subject to the ordinary laws which bind the citizen. Thus, for example, a local council must obtain planning permission for material development such as the erection of buildings. In many cases, too, the exercise of a power (e.g. to place seats in the roadside) is dependent upon the council obtaining consent from the owner or occupier of the land or from the highway or other competent authority.
Where a function is marked with an asterisk, a council also has the power to give financial assistance to another person or body performing the same function.
| FUNCTION | POWERS AND DUTIES | STATUTE |
| Agency Arrangements | Power to arrange for the discharge of functions by another local authority | LGA 1972, s. 101 |
| Allotments | Power to provide allotments. Duty to provide allotment gardens if demand exists. |
Smallholdings and Allotments Act 1908, ss 23,26 and 42 |
| Baths and washhouses | Power to provide public baths and washhouses | Public Health Act 1936, ss 221-223, 227 |
| Borrowing | Power to borrow money for statutory functions | LGA 1972, Sch. 13 |
| Burial grounds, cemeteries and crematoria* | Power to acquire and maintain. Power to provide |
Open Spaces Act 1906 ss 9 and 10 LGA 1972, s214 |
| Power to agree to maintain memorials and monuments | Parish Council and Burial Authorities (Misc. Prov.) Act 1970, s 1 | |
| Power to contribute to expenses of maintaining cemeteries | LGA 1972, s214(6) | |
| Bus shelters* | Power to provide and maintain bus shelters | Local Government (Misc. Prov.) Act 1953, s4 |
| Byelaws | Power to make byelaws for public walks and pleasure grounds. Cycle parks |
Public Health Act 1875, s164 Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, s57(7) |
| Public bathing | PHA 1936, s231 | |
| Swimming pools, bathing places, baths and washhouses | PHA 1936, s223 | |
| Open spaces and burial grounds | OSA 1906, s15 | |
| Hiring of pleasure boats in parks and pleasure grounds | PHA Amendment Act 1907, s44(2): PHA 1961, 54 | |
| Mortuaries and post-mortem rooms | PHA 1936, s198 | |
| Dogs and dog fouling in parks and open spaces | PHA 1875, s164 OSA 1906, s15 | |
| Charities | Power to appoint trustees of parochial charities | Charities Act 1993, s79 |
| Clocks* | Power to provide public clocks | Parish Councils Act 1957, s2 |
| Closed churchyards | Power (and sometimes duty) to maintain | LGA 1972, s215 |
| Common land | Power to protect unclaimed common land from unlawful interference | Commons Registration Act 1965, s9 |
| Power to manage commons and village greens under a district council scheme | Commons Act 1899, ss4 and 5 | |
| Community centres and village halls* | Power to provide and equip premises for clubs and other athletic, social or educational organisations | LG (Misc. Prov.) Act 1976, s19 |
| Conference facilities* | Power to provide and encourage the use of conference facilities | LGA 1972, s144 |
| Consultation | Right to be consulted by principal councils if directed by Secretary of State | LG and Rating Act 1997,S21: LGA 1972, s33A |
| Crime prevention* | Power to (a) install equipment (b) establish schemes and (c) assist others in so doing for the prevention of crime | LG and Rating Act 1997, s31 |
| Drainage | Power to deal with ditches and ponds | PHA 1936, s26 |
| Entertainment and the arts* | Provision of entertainment and support for the arts | LGA 1972, s145 |
| Flagpoles | Power to erect flagpoles in highways | Highways Act 1980, s144 |
| "Free Resource" | Power to incur expenditure not otherwise authorised on anything which in the council's opinion is in the interests of the area or part of it or of all or some of the inhabitants | LGA 1972, s137 |
| Gifts | Power to accept gifts | LGA 1972, s139 |
| Highways | Power to maintain footpaths and bridleways | HA 1980, ss43 and 50 |
| Power to make a dedication agreement for a new highway or widening an existing highway | HA 1980, ss30 and 72 | |
| Power to veto application to magistrates' court to stop up, divert or cease to maintain a public highway | HA 1980, ss 47, 116 | |
| Power to complain to local highway authority that a highway is unlawfully stopped up or obstructed | HA 1980, s130 | |
| Power to plant trees, etc. and maintain roadside verges | HA 1980, s196 | |
| Power to prosecute for unlawful ploughing of a footpath or bridleway | HA 1980, s134 | |
| Power to provide traffic signs and other notices | Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, s72 | |
| Land | Power to acquire land by agreement, to appropriate land and to dispose of land | LGA 1972, ss124, 126, 127 |
| Power to acquire land by compulsory purchase | LGA 1972, s125 | |
| Power to accept gifts of land | LGA 1972, s139 | |
| Power to obtain particulars of persons interested in land | LG (Misc. Prov.) Act 1976 s16 | |
| Lighting | Power to light roads and public places | PCA 1957, s3 HA 1980, s301 |
| Litter* | Power to provide litter bins in streets and public places | Litter Act 1983, ss5 and 6 |
| Lotteries | Power to promote lotteries | Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976, s7 |
| Mortuaries and post-mortem rooms | Powers to provide mortuaries and post-mortem rooms | PHA 1936, s198 |
| Nuisances* | Power to deal with offensive ponds, ditches and gutters | PHA 1936, s260 |
| Open spaces | Power to acquire and maintain open spaces | PHA 1875, s164 OSA 1906, ss 9 and 10 |
| Parish documents | Power to give directions as to the custody of parish documents | LGA 1972, s226 |
| Parking facilities | Power to provide parking places for motor vehicles and bicycles | RTRA 1984, ss57 and 63 |
| Public buildings and village halls | Power to provide buildings for offices and for public meetings and assemblies | LGA 1972, s133 |
| Public conveniences | Power to provide public conveniences | PHA 1936, s87 |
| Publicity | Power to provide information about matters affecting local government | LGA 1972, s142 |
| Records | Power to collect, exhibit and purchase local records | LG (Records) Act 1962, ss 1 and 2 |
| Recreation* | Power to acquire land for, or provide recreation grounds, public walks, pleasure grounds and open spaces and to manage and control them | PHA 1875, s164 PHAAA 1890, s44 OSA 1906, ss 9 and 10 LG (Misc. Prov.) Act 1976, s19 |
| Seats and shelters* | Power to provide roadside seats and shelters | PCA 1957, s1 |
| Telecommunications facilities | Power to pay BT or any other telecommunications operator any loss sustained in providing telecommunications facilities | Telecommunications Act 1984 |
| Town and Country Planning | Right to be notified of planning applications | Town and Country Planning Act 1990, para.8 of Sch.1 |
| Town status | Power to adopt town status | LGA 1972, ss 245 and 245B |
| Tourism* | Power to contribute to encouragement of tourism | LGA 1972, s144 |
| Traffic calming | Power to contribute to the cost of traffic calming measures | HA 1980, s274A |
| Transport* | Power to (a) establish car sharing schemes; (b) make grants for bus services; (c) provide taxi fare concessions; (d investigate public transport, road use and needs; (e) provide information about public transport services | LG and RA 1997, s26 |
| Village greens* | Power to maintain, to make byelaws for and to prosecute for interference with village greens | OSA 1906, s15; Inclosure Act 1857, s12; Commons Act 1876, s29 |
| Village halls* | (See Community Centres, Public Buildings) | |
| War Memorials | Power to maintain, repair and protect war memorials | War Memorials (Local Authorities' Powers) Act 1923, s1 as extended by LGA 1948, s133 |
| Water supply | Power to utilise any well, spring or stream to provide facilities for obtaining water from them | PHA 1936, s125 |