Its purpose was to codify previous measures aimed at combating filthy urban living conditions,[3] which caused various health threats, including the spread of many diseases such as cholera and typhus.

[4] Many factors delayed effective implementation of reform, however, such as the fact that to perform a clean-up would cost money, and neither government, factory owners, or local authorities were keen to pay.

Home Secretary Richard Cross was responsible for drafting the legislation, and received much good will from trades union groups in the consequent years for "humanising the toil of the working man".

[3] The act made it compulsory for local powers to: With the rapid urbanisation that accompanied the Industrial Revolution, huge swathes of terraced houses had been built to accommodate factory workers.

[citation needed] The act also meant that every public health authority had to have a medical officer and a sanitary inspector,[6] to ensure the laws on food, housing, water and hygiene were carried out; and that towns had to have pavements and street lighting.