{{Short description|Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Use British English|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox UK legislation |short_title = Metropolitan Building Act 1855 |type = Act |parliament = Parliament of the United Kingdom |long_title = An Act to amend the Laws relating to the Construction of Buildings in the Metropolis and its Neighbourhood. |year = 1855 |citation = [[18 & 19 Vict.]] c. 122 |territorial_extent = "The Metropolis" as defined in the [[Metropolis Management Act 1855]] ([[18 & 19 Vict.]] c. 120), in [[England and Wales|England]] |royal_assent = 14 August 1855 |commencement = 14 August 1855{{efn|The [[Acts of Parliament (Commencement) Act 1793]].}} |repeal_date = 1 January 1895 |amends = {{ubli|[[Metropolitan Buildings Act 1844]]|[[Metropolitan Buildings Act 1846]]}} |replaces = |amendments = [[Statute Law Revision Act 1875]] |related_legislation = [[Factory and Workshop Act 1891]] |repealing_legislation= [[London Building Act 1894]] |status = Repealed |original_text = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/18-19/122/contents/enacted |use_new_UK-LEG = yes |UK-LEG_title = The Metropolitan Building Act 1855 }}
The '''Metropolitan Building Act 1855''' ([[18 & 19 Vict.]] c. 122) was an [[Act of Parliament (United Kingdom)|act]] of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]], concerning standards for buildings within the [[London]] "Metropolis", which was separately defined as part of the [[Metropolis Management Act 1855]] ([[18 & 19 Vict.]] c. 120) passed in the same year. The act was used to regulate the construction, alteration, and safety of buildings within the city, and is the precursor of modern [[Building regulations in the United Kingdom|building regulations]].
==Provisions== Part I contains which buildings are in scope (which includes all new buildings and alterations to buildings), and sets out rules for the structure and thickness of walls, roofs, chimneys, stairs, and particulars for [[party wall]]s. It goes on to set a structure for district surveyors, including granting them powers to inspect and enforce the rules.<ref name=text>{{cite book|title=The Metropolitan Building Acts: A Text-Book for Architects, Surveyors, Builders etc.|last=Fletcher|first=Banister|year=1882|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OZkDAAAAQAAJ}}</ref>
Part II covers dangerous structures, defining them and giving city commissioners powers to deal with them<ref name=text/>
Part III goes into detail on [[party wall|party structures]]<ref name=text/>
Part IV covers the miscellaneous provisions, particularly around the powers of courts<ref name=text/>
Part V repeals previous acts<ref name=text/>
== Legacy == The whole act was repealed by section 215 of, and the fourth schedule to, the [[London Building Act 1894]] ([[57 & 58 Vict.]] c. ccxiii).
== Notes == {{Notelist}}
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{UK-LEG|path=ukpga/1855/122|title=The Metropolitan Building Act 1855|type=ukpga}}
{{UK legislation}} {{Authority control}}
[[Category:United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1855]] [[Category:Repealed United Kingdom Acts of Parliament]] [[Category:English tort law]] [[Category:Local government legislation in England and Wales]] [[Category:History of local government in London (1855–1889)]] [[Category:Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom concerning London]] [[Category:1855 in London]] [[Category:Metropolitan Board of Works]]