With reference to the deposit of plans of new streets or buildings, the following clause of the Public Health Act 1875 provides that this shall be done:
“Where a notice, plan or description of any work is required by any byelaw made by an urban authority to be laid before that authority, the urban authority shall, within one month after the same has been delivered or sent to their surveyor or clerk,[155] signify in writing their approval or disapproval of the intended work to the person proposing to execute the same; and if the work is commenced after such notice of disapproval, or before the expiration of such month without such approval, and is in any respect not in conformity with any byelaw of the urban authority, the urban authority may cause so much of the work as has been executed to be pulled down or removed” . . . (38 & 39 Vic. c. 55, s. 158.).
The result of these clauses of the Act with reference to new streets and buildings is, that some of the most arduous and irksome duties of the town surveyor are embodied in the few words they contain. These duties consist of, first, the careful examination of, and report upon all plans of new streets and buildings; secondly, the constant supervision of these streets and buildings whilst the works are in progress; and each of these duties will be considered in the course of this chapter.
First then, as to the deposit and examination of the plans of new streets or buildings.
The byelaws of which I have already made mention should contain some such clause as the following:
“Every person who shall intend to make or lay out any new street, whether the same shall be intended to be used as a public way or not, shall give notice to the urban authority of such intention, by writing delivered to them at their office, or at the office of their surveyor, and shall at the same time leave or cause to be left at the office of the urban authority, or of their surveyor, a plan and section of such intended new street, drawn to a scale of not less than 1 inch to every 44 feet, and shall show on every such plan the names of the owners of the land through or over which such street shall be intended to pass, the level, width, direction, the proposed mode of construction, the proposed name of such intended new street, and its position relatively to the streets nearest thereto; the size and number of the intended building lots, and the proposed sites, height, class, and nature of the buildings to be erected therein, and the proposed height of the division and fence walls thereon; and the name and address of the person intending to lay out such new street, and he shall himself sign such plan, or cause the same to be signed by his duly authorised agent.
“Such person shall show on every such section the level of the present surface of the ground above some known fixed datum, the level and rate or rates of inclination of the intended new street, the level and inclination of the streets with which it will be connected, and the level of the lowest floors of the intended new buildings.
“Every person who shall intend to erect any new building shall give notice to the urban authority of such intention by writing delivered to them at their office or at the office of their surveyor, and shall at the same time leave or cause to be left at the said office detail plans and sections of every floor of such intended new building, drawn to a scale of not less than 1 inch to every 8 feet, showing the position, form and dimensions of the several parts of such building, and of the watercloset, earth closet, privy, cesspool, ashpit, well, and all other appurtenances; and together with such plans and sections he shall leave or cause to be left at the office of the urban authority, or of their surveyor, a description of the materials of which the building is proposed to be constructed, of the intended mode of drainage, and means of water supply.
“Such person shall at the same time leave or cause to be left at the office of the urban authority, or of their surveyor, a block plan drawn to a scale of not less than 1 inch to every 44 feet, and shall show the position of the buildings and appurtenances of the properties immediately adjoining, the width and level of the street in front, and of the street, if any, at the rear of such building, the level of the lowest floor of such building, and of any yard or ground belonging thereto.
“Such person shall likewise show on such plan the intended lines of drainage of such building, and the intended size, depth and inclination of each drain; and the details of the arrangement proposed to be adopted for the ventilation of the drains.”