Urban districts were local government administrative areas that had urban district councils (UDC), sharing local government responsibilities with a county council. They were created by the Local Government Act of 1894 (57 &58 Vict, c58), and replaced the system of sanitary boards with urban and rural district councils.[1]
Urban districts had more local government functions than the sanitary boards, and were run by councils with elected councillors. The Act made it “compulsory for parishes with a death rate over 2.34% to establish a Board of Health”. Urban districts contained small towns, and by 1965 there were 548 in England and Wales; they were abolished in 1974.[1]