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Basildon (district)
Encyclopedia
Basildon is a local government district
in south Essex
in the East of England
, centred around the town of Basildon
. The district was formed under the Local Government Act 1972
on 1 April 1974 from the former area of Basildon Urban District
and the part of Thurrock Urban District
that was within the Basildon New Town. The population of the district as of 2010 is about 172,000. The council made an application for borough status
in February 2010 and this was given approval that year, with Cllr Mo Larkin becoming the first mayor in October.
and Labour parties have controlled the council at different times, as well as periods when no party has had a majority. The Conservative party has controlled the council since winning a majority at the 2003 election
. As of the 2011 election
the council is composed of the following councillors:-
, to the east it borders the District of Rochford
district, to the south east the Borough of Castle Point
and to the west it borders the Borough of Brentwood
. To the south the district has a boundary with the unitary authority
of Thurrock
.
has three main population centres. The towns of Billericay
and Wickford
are two of the areas which both have surrounding villages. Occasional proposals have been made to move Billericay and Wickford to other districts, leaving Basildon more focused on the new town.
The other, largest, population centre is commonly referred to as Basildon
and comprises three original settlements: Laindon
, Basildon and Pitsea
(from west to east) which have merged with other minor settlements to form the New Town, which is a continuous urban area.
The remaining land, approximately half of the district is designated as green belt
, has several sites of special scientific interest
. Two are around Billericay and the remainder are to the south of Basildon New Town. There are also wildlife areas of varying sizes around most of the district, except in the East.
The source of the River Crouch
is in the district. The river runs across the district, through Wickford before it leaves it.
The district is linked well by road and rail with significant surrounding destinations, including London
.
In the west of the Basildon district, the Dunton Plotlands
is an area of small plots of land used as weekend cottages or smallholdings inhabited during the mid twentieth century.
Villages within the district are:
Coordinating and promoting this programme of investment is the Basildon Renaissance Partnership which was set up in 2003 by Basildon District Council. Its partners also include the East Of England Development Agency, English Partnerships, Essex County Council, and the Thames Gateway South Essex Partnership with support from the Department for Communities and Local Government.
and Southend
via two train operators: c2c
and National Express East Anglia. The route operated by c2c is the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway
. Three principal stations of the railway line are in the district: Basildon railway station
, Laindon railway station
and Pitsea railway station
The former Great Eastern
service (now National Express East Anglia) operates on the Shenfield to Southend Line
. Trains stop at Billericay
and Wickford railway station
. At Wickford, the Crouch Valley Line
diverges from the Shenfield to Southend line.
Three primary routes are within the district. The A127
goes through its centre, the A13 goes through the south-east at Pitsea. Both these primary routes connect the district with Greater London
and Southend-on-Sea. At Bowers Gifford at a terminus of the A13's primary status there is a junction with the beginning of primary status for the A130
with runs along a small section of the western boundary of the district. The A130 connects the district with Chelmsford
. The A129
is the major road link between Billericay and Wickford, which are linked via A-Roads
to the urban area of Basildon, Pitsea and Laindon by the A176 and the A132
, respectively.
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
in south Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
in the East of England
East of England
The East of England is one of the nine official regions of England. It was created in 1994 and was adopted for statistics from 1999. It includes the ceremonial counties of Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. Essex has the highest population in the region.Its...
, centred around the town of Basildon
Basildon
Basildon is a town located in the Basildon District of the county of Essex, England.It lies east of Central London and south of the county town of Chelmsford...
. The district was formed under the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
on 1 April 1974 from the former area of Basildon Urban District
Basildon Urban District
Basildon Urban District was a local government district in south Essex, England from 1934 to 1974.The district was created in 1934 consisting of the following parishes :...
and the part of Thurrock Urban District
Thurrock Urban District
Thurrock was a local government district and civil parish in south Essex, England from 1936 to 1974.The parish and urban district was formed from the former area of the following civil parishes which had been abolished in 1936:...
that was within the Basildon New Town. The population of the district as of 2010 is about 172,000. The council made an application for borough status
Borough status in the United Kingdom
Borough status in the United Kingdom is granted by royal charter to local government districts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The status is purely honorary, and does not give any additional powers to the council or inhabitants of the district...
in February 2010 and this was given approval that year, with Cllr Mo Larkin becoming the first mayor in October.
Governance
Elections to the borough council are held in three out of every four years, with one third of the 42 seats on the council being elected at each election. Both the ConservativeConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
and Labour parties have controlled the council at different times, as well as periods when no party has had a majority. The Conservative party has controlled the council since winning a majority at the 2003 election
Basildon Council election, 2003
The 2003 Basildon Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Basildon Borough Council in Essex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party gained overall control of the council from no overall control....
. As of the 2011 election
Basildon Council election, 2011
The 2011 Basildon Council election took place on 5 May 2011 to elect members of Basildon Borough Council in Essex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party stayed in overall control of the council....
the council is composed of the following councillors:-
| Party | Councillors |
|
| Conservative Party Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
29 | |
| Labour Party Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
11 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 2 | |
Parish and town councils
There are seven town and parish councils at present. They cover one quarter of the district and are:- Billericay Town Council
- Great Burstead & South Green Parish Council
- Little Burstead Parish Council
- Ramsden Bellhouse Parish Council
- Ramsden Crays Parish Council
- Noak Bridge Parish Council
- Shotgate Parish Council
Boundaries
To the north it borders the Borough of ChelmsfordChelmsford (borough)
Chelmsford is a local government district and borough in Essex, England. It is named after its main settlement, Chelmsford, which is also the county town of Essex.-History:...
, to the east it borders the District of Rochford
Rochford (district)
Rochford is a local government district in Essex, England. It is named for one of its main settlements, Rochford, though the major centre of population in the district is the town of Rayleigh...
district, to the south east the Borough of Castle Point
Castle Point
Castle Point is a local government district and borough in south Essex. The borough comprises the towns of Canvey Island, Hadleigh, South Benfleet, and Thundersley which also provides the site of the council headquarters.-History:...
and to the west it borders the Borough of Brentwood
Brentwood (borough)
Brentwood is a local government district and borough in Essex in the East of England.-History & Geography:The borough is named after the town of Brentwood which is the main development in the area. There are still large areas of woodland including Shenfield Common, Hartswood , Weald Country Park,...
. To the south the district has a boundary with the unitary authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
of Thurrock
Thurrock
Thurrock is a unitary authority with borough status in the English ceremonial county of Essex. It is part of the London commuter belt and an area of regeneration within the Thames Gateway redevelopment zone. The local authority is Thurrock Council....
.
Geography
The districtDistrict
Districts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...
has three main population centres. The towns of Billericay
Billericay
Billericay is a town and civil parish in the Basildon borough of Essex, England. It lies within the London Basin, has a population of 40,000, and constitutes a commuter town east of central London. The town has three secondary schools and a variety of open spaces...
and Wickford
Wickford
Wickford is a town in the south of the English county of Essex, with a population of more than 32,500. Located approximately 30 miles east of London, it falls within the District of Basildon along with Basildon, Billericay, Laindon and Pitsea....
are two of the areas which both have surrounding villages. Occasional proposals have been made to move Billericay and Wickford to other districts, leaving Basildon more focused on the new town.
The other, largest, population centre is commonly referred to as Basildon
Basildon
Basildon is a town located in the Basildon District of the county of Essex, England.It lies east of Central London and south of the county town of Chelmsford...
and comprises three original settlements: Laindon
Laindon
Laindon is a town in the west of the Basildon district of Essex, England.It is north of Laindon railway station on the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway. South of the railway station and line is Langdon Hills. Laindon and Langdon Hills are part of the Basildon post town.Until its abolition in...
, Basildon and Pitsea
Pitsea
Pitsea is a small town in the east of the Basildon district of south Essex, England. It comprises five sub-districts: Eversley, Northlands Park Neighbourhood , Chalvedon, Pitsea Mount and Burnt Mills. Vange is located to the west of Pitsea, Bowers Gifford and North Benfleet to the east and Nevendon...
(from west to east) which have merged with other minor settlements to form the New Town, which is a continuous urban area.
The remaining land, approximately half of the district is designated as green belt
Green belt
A green belt or greenbelt is a policy and land use designation used in land use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighbouring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges which have a linear character and may run through an...
, has several sites of special scientific interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
. Two are around Billericay and the remainder are to the south of Basildon New Town. There are also wildlife areas of varying sizes around most of the district, except in the East.
The source of the River Crouch
River Crouch
The River Crouch is a river that flows entirely through the English county of Essex.The distance of the Navigation between Holliwell Point which is north of Foulness Island and Battlesbridge is 17.5 Miles, i.e. 15.21 Nautical Miles.-Route:...
is in the district. The river runs across the district, through Wickford before it leaves it.
The district is linked well by road and rail with significant surrounding destinations, including London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
In the west of the Basildon district, the Dunton Plotlands
Dunton Plotlands
The Dunton Plotlands was an area of small rural plots of land in southern Essex inhabited from the 1930s to the 1980s.The 'plotlands' consisted of small plots of land sold in the first half of the 20th century to people who built weekend cottages, holiday bungalows or smallholdings there...
is an area of small plots of land used as weekend cottages or smallholdings inhabited during the mid twentieth century.
List of settlements
It contains the towns of:- BasildonBasildonBasildon is a town located in the Basildon District of the county of Essex, England.It lies east of Central London and south of the county town of Chelmsford...
(the administrative headquarters)- LaindonLaindonLaindon is a town in the west of the Basildon district of Essex, England.It is north of Laindon railway station on the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway. South of the railway station and line is Langdon Hills. Laindon and Langdon Hills are part of the Basildon post town.Until its abolition in...
- Langdon HillsLangdon HillsLangdon Hills is a town located in the Basildon district of Essex, England. It is contiguous with the Basildon continuous urban area.It is located south of Laindon railway station on the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway. It is the location of the Langdon Hills Country Park, which is in the...
- PitseaPitseaPitsea is a small town in the east of the Basildon district of south Essex, England. It comprises five sub-districts: Eversley, Northlands Park Neighbourhood , Chalvedon, Pitsea Mount and Burnt Mills. Vange is located to the west of Pitsea, Bowers Gifford and North Benfleet to the east and Nevendon...
- Laindon
- BillericayBillericayBillericay is a town and civil parish in the Basildon borough of Essex, England. It lies within the London Basin, has a population of 40,000, and constitutes a commuter town east of central London. The town has three secondary schools and a variety of open spaces...
- WickfordWickfordWickford is a town in the south of the English county of Essex, with a population of more than 32,500. Located approximately 30 miles east of London, it falls within the District of Basildon along with Basildon, Billericay, Laindon and Pitsea....
Villages within the district are:
- Bowers GiffordBowers GiffordBowers Gifford is a village in Essex, England....
- Crays HillCrays HillCrays Hill is a village in the Basildon borough of Essex, England. The local school is Crays Hill Primary School. The River Crouch passes under Church Lane....
- Great BursteadGreat BursteadGreat Burstead is an urban settlement in Essex, England - it is contiguous with the town of Billericay.By tradition, the origins of the church, St Mary Magdalene, at Great Burstead are linked to Saint Cedd. Cedd, a missionary monk and later Bishop of the East Saxons, was trained by the Celtic Saint...
- Little BursteadLittle BursteadLittle Burstead is a village in Essex, England.-External links:...
- North BenfleetNorth BenfleetNorth Benfleet is a village in the Basildon district of Essex, England. It forms part of the Wickford post town.The Church of All Saints, is to the north of the village, nearly 2 miles off the main road. However, it has fallen into a state of disrepair and is not currently in use....
- Ramsden BellhouseRamsden BellhouseRamsden Bellhouse is a village in Essex, England. The village is in the district of Basildon and in the parliamentary constituency of Billericay.The River Crouch flows through Ramsden Bellhouse, flowing under Church Road....
Regeneration plans
Basildon District is a prosperous business location and has in recent years seen significant inward investment and jobs growth. Throughout Basildon District there are major developments planned estimated to total nearly £2 billion. These include:- The regeneration of Basildon, Wickford, Pitsea and Laindon Town Centres
- A new Sporting Village and improvements to playing pitches and sports facilities throughout the District to make Basildon the Centre for Sport in South Essex. The sporting village is expected in 2010, and is being highly sought after as an Olympic training base for one the top teams, including the Russians. Its combined benefits, of having some of the top facilities so close to London, including one of the few Olympic (50m) size pools in the UK, will make it a true asset to whatever team(s) use it.
- The creation of a health and education research centre near Basildon and Thurrock University Hospital and FE College
- Investment in the Basildon Enterprise Corridor, the largest business area in the Thames Gateway outside of London, home to 45,000 jobs and over 5,000 businesses, including Ford, Selex, Visteon, Case New Holland, First Data Europe, International Financial Services Limited, RBS, and Starbucks
- The creation of one of the largest wetland nature reserves in Europe in the Thames Marshes by the RSPB, Land Restoration Trust, Basildon District Council and Veolia
- A strategic review of the District's housing, with investment in housing estates such as Craylands, Five Links and Felmores to create first class places to live
Coordinating and promoting this programme of investment is the Basildon Renaissance Partnership which was set up in 2003 by Basildon District Council. Its partners also include the East Of England Development Agency, English Partnerships, Essex County Council, and the Thames Gateway South Essex Partnership with support from the Department for Communities and Local Government.
Transport
The district is connected to LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Southend
Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, North Shoebury, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated...
via two train operators: c2c
C2c
c2c is a British train operating company that is part of the National Express Group. It provides passenger rail services on the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway line from Fenchurch Street railway station in the City of London to east London and the entire length of the northern Thames Gateway...
and National Express East Anglia. The route operated by c2c is the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway
London, Tilbury and Southend Railway
The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway is an English railway line linking Fenchurch Street railway station in the City of London with northeast London and the entire length of the northern Thames Gateway area of southern Essex. It is currently known as the Essex Thameside Route by Network Rail...
. Three principal stations of the railway line are in the district: Basildon railway station
Basildon railway station
Basildon is railway station located in Basildon, Essex, England. The station was opened in 1974. The Station is managed by and all train services are operated by c2c...
, Laindon railway station
Laindon railway station
Laindon is railway station located in Laindon in the Basildon district of Essex, England.The station was opened in 1888 by the London Tilbury and Southend Railway as part of a new direct route from Barking to Pitsea, avoiding Tilbury. It is located down the line from Fenchurch Street. The station...
and Pitsea railway station
Pitsea railway station
Pitsea station is a railway station located in Pitsea in Basildon, Essex, England.The station was opened on 1 July 1855 by the London Tilbury and Southend Railway The original station was replaced by another on an adjacent site on 1 June 1888. It is 26 miles distant on the main line from Fenchurch...
The former Great Eastern
First Great Eastern
First Great Eastern was an award-winning train operating company that operated suburban, local and medium distance train services from London Liverpool Street via Romford to Essex and Ipswich in the United Kingdom on the Great Eastern Main Line railway.First Group gained the Great Eastern...
service (now National Express East Anglia) operates on the Shenfield to Southend Line
Shenfield to Southend Line
The Shenfield to Southend Line is a railway line from Southend-on-Sea to Shenfield in Essex. Almost all trains continue through to London Liverpool Street along the Great Eastern Main Line...
. Trains stop at Billericay
Billericay railway station
Billericay railway station is a railway station in the town of Billericay in the Basildon district of the county of Essex in the East of England...
and Wickford railway station
Wickford railway station
Wickford railway station is in the town of Wickford in the Basildon district of the county of Essex in the East of England. The station is currently served and managed by National Express East Anglia with services to and from London Liverpool Street station, Southend Victoria and Southminster.The...
. At Wickford, the Crouch Valley Line
Crouch Valley Line
The Crouch Valley Line is a branch line from Wickford to Southminster in Essex. It is usually called the Southminster Branch by users of the line, although that is no longer its official name...
diverges from the Shenfield to Southend line.
Three primary routes are within the district. The A127
A127 road
The A127, also known as the Southend Arterial Road, is one of the trunk roads in England linking London with Southend-on-Sea, the other being the A13. It is a dual carriageway for its entire length, rare on a trunk road since the only others are the A14 and the A282, and is known as the Southend...
goes through its centre, the A13 goes through the south-east at Pitsea. Both these primary routes connect the district with Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
and Southend-on-Sea. At Bowers Gifford at a terminus of the A13's primary status there is a junction with the beginning of primary status for the A130
A130 road
The A130 is a major road in England linking Little Waltham, near Chelmsford, the county town of Essex, with Canvey Island in the south of that county. It is a primary route for most of its length, only losing that status south of the A13 junction at Sadlers Farm "magic" roundabout as it nears its...
with runs along a small section of the western boundary of the district. The A130 connects the district with Chelmsford
Chelmsford
Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, England and the principal settlement of the borough of Chelmsford. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately northeast of Charing Cross, London, and approximately the same distance from the once provincial Roman capital at Colchester...
. The A129
A129 road
The A129 is a main road in Essex, England.The road connects Shenfield in the west and Hadleigh in the east, linking various commuter towns in the county. It forms a road link between the railway stations of Shenfield and Rayleigh...
is the major road link between Billericay and Wickford, which are linked via A-Roads
Great Britain road numbering scheme
The Great Britain road numbering scheme is a numbering scheme used to classify and identify all roads in Great Britain. Each road is given a single letter, which represents the road's category, and a subsequent number, with a length of between 1 and 4 digits. Originally introduced to arrange...
to the urban area of Basildon, Pitsea and Laindon by the A176 and the A132
A132 road (England)
The A132 road is a road in England connecting Pitsea and South Woodham Ferrers....
, respectively.