The Turnpike Roads Act 1822 (3 Geo. 4. c. 126), also known as the General Turnpike Act 1822, was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that consolidated all enactments relating to turnpike roads in England and Wales.
The first legislated control in England was introduced under the Highways Act 1555 (2 & 3 Ph. & M. c. 8), which was amended and extended by the Highways Act 1562 (5 Eliz. 1. c. 13).
In 1663, the Road Repair (Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Huntingdonshire) Act 1663 (15 Cha. 2. c. 1) was passed to authorise the charging of rates for a section of the Great North Road in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire, becoming the first turnpike act. From the late 17th-century, Parliament increasingly took responsibility for repairing and maintaining roads from local authorities.
From 1700 to 1750, 143 new turnpike acts were passed, followed by a period of "turnpike mania", during which 375 new trusts were created between 1751 and 1772.
In response to the increased development and congestion of roads in England, the Highways Act 1766 (6 Geo. 3. c. 43), Highways (No. 2) Act 1766 (7 Geo. 3. c. 42), the Highways Act 1768 (8 Geo. 3. c. 5) and the Turnpike Roads Act 1766 (7 Geo. 3. c. 40) were passed to improve their regulation.
In 1773, the Highways Act 1773 (13 Geo. 3. c. 78) and the Turnpike Roads Act 1773 (13 Geo. 3. c. 84) were passed, which consolidated acts relating to highways and turnpikes in England and Wales.
Leave to bring in the Turnpikes Laws Bill to the House of Commons was granted on 13 March 1822 to Thomas Frankland Lewis and Davies Gilbert . The bill had its first reading in the House of Commons on 14 March 1822, presented by the Thomas Frankland Lewis . The bill had its second reading in the House of Commons on 19 March 1822 and was committed to a committee of the whole house, which met and reported on 22 March 1822, with amendments. The amended bill was considered on 26 March 1822 and was committed to a select committee, which was appointed on 26 March 1822, enlarged on 17 April 1822 and reported on 24 May 1822, with amendments. The amended bill was considered on 8 July 1822 was re-committed to a committee of the whole house, which met and reported on 13 July 1822, with amendments. The amended bill was re-committed to a committee of the whole house, which met and reported on 17 July 1822. The amended bill had its third reading in the House of Commons on 23 July 1822 and passed, without amendments.
The bill had its first reading in the House of Lords on 24 July 1822. The bill had its second reading in the House of Lords on 26 July 1822 and was committed to a committee of the whole house, which met on 31 July 1822 and reported on 1 August 1822, with amendments. The amended bill had its third reading in the House of Lords on 2 August 1822 and passed, without amendments.
The amended bill was considered and agreed to by the House of Commons on 5 August 1822.
The bill was granted royal assent on 6 August 1822.
Section 1 of the act repealed 16 enactments, listed in that section.
Section 2 of the act provided that the repeals would not revive any repealed acts.
Section 3 of the act provided that all penalties and offences committed under the repealed acts before their repeal could still be prosecuted under the repealed acts.
The act was immediately amended in the following session by the Turnpike Roads Act 1823 (4 Geo. 4. c. 95).
The whole act, except sections 97âÂÂ103, 118 and 124 were declared to be local and personal by section 1 of, and the first schedule to, the Statute Law Revision Act 1890 (53 & 54 Vict. c. 33).
The whole act was repealed by section 1(1) of, and part X of schedule 1 to, the Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1981, which came into force on 21 May 1981.