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Borough of Basildon

Coordinates: 51°34′14″N 0°27′16″E / 51.5705°N 0.4545°E / 51.5705; 0.4545
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Borough of Basildon
Non-metropolitan district and borough
Basildon, the administrative centre of the borough
Basildon, the administrative centre of the borough
Basildon shown within Essex
Basildon shown within Essex
Coordinates: 51°34′14″N 0°27′16″E / 51.5705°N 0.4545°E / 51.5705; 0.4545
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
CountryEngland
RegionEast of England
Non-metropolitan countyEssex
StatusNon-metropolitan district, Borough
Admin HQBasildon
Incorporated1 April 1974
Government
 • TypeNon-metropolitan district council
 • BodyBasildon Borough Council
 • MPsJohn Baron
Stephen Metcalfe
Mark Francois
Area
 • Total42.48 sq mi (110.02 km2)
 • Rank187th (of 296)
Population
 (2022)
 • Total188,848
 • Rank105th (of 296)
 • Density4,400/sq mi (1,700/km2)
Ethnicity (2021)
[1]
 • Ethnic groups
List
Religion (2021)
[1]
 • Religion
List
Time zoneUTC0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
ONS codeE07000066
OS grid referenceTQ735895

The Borough of Basildon is a local government district with borough status in Essex, England. It is named after its largest town, Basildon, where the council is based. The borough also includes the towns of Billericay and Wickford and surrounding rural areas.

The borough borders the City of Chelmsford to the north, the Borough of Brentwood to the west, the Thurrock unitary authority area to the south, the Borough of Castle Point to the south-east, and Rochford District to the north-east.

History

[edit]

Billericay Urban District was created in 1934.[2] In 1955 it was renamed Basildon Urban District[3] to reflect the growth of Basildon, which had been designated a new town in 1949.[4] In the 1990’s Basildon applied to become a unitary authority but this was declined, with the government asserting that the divergent interests of the three main towns meant any change to the status quo should involve splitting the borough; with Billericay and Wickford joining the districts of Brentwood and Rochford respectively.[5][6]

Urban districts were abolished on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972. On this date, a new non-metropolitan district called Basildon was created, covering the whole area of the former Basildon Urban District plus the small part of the neighbouring Thurrock Urban District which fell within the designated area for Basildon New Town.[7][8]

The district was awarded borough status in 2010, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor, with Mo Larkin being appointed the first mayor.[9][10]

Governance

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Basildon Borough Council
Type
Type
History
Founded1 April 1974
Leadership
Allan Davies,
Labour
since 23 May 2024[11]
Gavin Callaghan,
Labour
since 23 May 2024
Chief Executive (interim)
Kim Bromley-Derry
since 2024[12]
Structure
Seats42 councillors
Political groups
Administration (24)
  Labour (18)
  Independent (6)
Other parties (18)
  Conservative (13)
  Wickford Ind. (5)
Length of term
Third of council elected three years out of four
Elections
Last election
2 May 2024
Next election
7 May 2026
Meeting place
The Basildon Centre, St Martin's Square, Basildon, SS14 1DL
Website
www.basildon.gov.uk
Billericay, one of the towns of the borough
Wickford, one of the towns of the borough
Ramsden Bellhouse, one of the villages in the borough

Basildon Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Essex County Council. Parts of the borough are also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[13]

Political control

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The council has been under no overall control since the 2024 election, with Labour the largest party.[14] An administration of Labour and the independent councillors subsequently formed to run the council.[15]

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[16] [17]

Party in control Years
Labour 1974–1976
No overall control 1976–1982
Labour 1982–1987
No overall control 1987–1990
Labour 1990–1991
No overall control 1991–1992
Conservative 1992–1994
No overall control 1994–1996
Labour 1996–2000
No overall control 2000–2003
Conservative 2003–2014
No overall control 2014–2018
Conservative 2018–2019
No overall control 2019–2021
Conservative 2021–2024
No overall control 2024–present

Leadership

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The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Basildon. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2009 have been:[18]

Councillor Party From To
Tony Ball[19] Conservative 21 May 2009 25 May 2014
Phil Turner Conservative 12 Jun 2014 25 May 2017
Gavin Callaghan Labour 25 May 2017 24 May 2018
Andrew Baggott Conservative 24 May 2018 23 May 2019
Gavin Callaghan Labour 23 May 2019 27 May 2021
Andrew Baggott Conservative 27 May 2021 23 May 2024
Gavin Callaghan Labour 23 May 2024

Composition

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Following the 2024 election, the composition of the council was:[20]

Party Councillors
Labour 18
Conservative 13
Independent 6
Wickford Independents 5
Total 42

The six independents sit together as a group. The next election is due in May 2028.

Premises

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The council has its headquarters at the Basildon Centre on St Martin's Square in Basildon Town Centre. The building was purpose-built for the council in 1989 at a cost of £17.5 million. It was formally opened on 14 November 1989 by Jack Cunningham, the Shadow Leader of the House of Commons. The building also contains the town's library.[21]

Elections

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See also: Basildon Borough Council elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2024, the council has comprised 42 councillors representing 14 wards, with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held in three out of every four years, with a third of the council (one councillor for each ward) elected each time for a four-year term of office. Essex County Council elections are held in the fourth year of the cycle when there are no borough council elections.[22]

Towns and parishes

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Basildon population pyramid

There are nine civil parishes in the borough. The town of Basildon itself is an unparished area, as is a small area west of Wickford.[23] The parish councils for Billericay and Wickford are styled "town councils", whilst that for Great Burstead and South Green is styled a "village council". The civil parishes are:[24]

Geography

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Constituencies within the Basildon district.
Blue: Billericay and Basildon
Red: Basildon South and Thurrock East
Green: Rayleigh and Wickford

The district has three main urban areas: Basildon, Billericay and Wickford. Proposals to move Billericay and Wickford to other districts, leaving Basildon district more focused on the new town, were considered in the 1990s but rejected.[25]

The new town of Basildon grew to absorb four earlier settlements: Laindon, Basildon, Vange and Pitsea (from west to east) which have merged with other minor hamlets.

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 the district.

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.

List of settlements

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It contains the towns of:

Villages within the district are:

Regeneration plans

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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 of 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 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.

The BBC noted the council had decided to sell for £1 a plot of land it bought next to the golf course for £1m in order to build a 4 star hotel. The Conservative leader described the sale as doomed to failure.[26]

Transport

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The district is connected to London and Southend via two train operators: c2c and Abellio Greater Anglia. The route operated by c2c is the London, Tilbury and Southend line. 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 Abellio Greater 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.

Freedom of the Borough

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The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the Borough of Basildon.[27]

Individuals

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Military Units

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Organisations and groups

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  • Basildon & Brentwood Clinical Commissioning Group: 27 May 2021.
  • Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust: 27 May 2021.
  • North East London NHS Foundation Trust: 27 May 2021.
  • Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust: 27 May 2021.[29]
  • The East of England Ambulance Service NHS trust: 23 October 2021.[30]

References

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  1. ^ a b UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Basildon Local Authority (E07000066)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Billericay Urban District". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Basildon Urban District". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  4. ^ "No. 38507". The London Gazette. 7 January 1949. p. 145.
  5. ^ The Local Government Review in England Research Paper 95/84 House of Commons Library https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/RP95-84/RP95-84.pdf
  6. ^ The 1995 Review of 21 Districts in England: Overview Report - Local Government Commission for England
  7. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 31 May 2023
  8. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 31 May 2023
  9. ^ "Basildon to get its first Mayor". Basildon District Council. 15 September 2010. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
  10. ^ "Basildon district becomes borough". BBC News. 15 September 2010. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
  11. ^ "Council meeting, 23 May 2024". Basildon Council. 23 May 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  12. ^ Marinko, Paul (18 June 2024). "Bromley-Derry set to replace retiring Logan at Basildon". The MJ. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  13. ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
  14. ^ "Basildon Election Result". BBC News. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  15. ^ "Council meeting, 23 May 2024". Basildon Council. 23 May 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  16. ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  17. ^ "Basildon". BBC News Online. 19 April 2008. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  18. ^ "Council minutes". Basildon Borough Council. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  19. ^ "Cllr Tony Ball". Local Government Association. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  20. ^ "Local elections 2024: full mayoral and council results for England". The Guardian. 4 May 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  21. ^ Behringer, Kim (24 November 1989). "MP praises new centre". Billericay Gazette. p. 3. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  22. ^ "The Basildon (Electoral Changes) Order 2023", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2024/731, retrieved 24 May 2024
  23. ^ "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  24. ^ "Borough Town, Parish and Village Councils". Basildon Council. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  25. ^ LGCE. Final Recommendations on the Future Local Government of: Basildon & Thurrock, Blackburn & Blackpool, Broxtowe, Gedling & Rushcliffe, Dartford & Gravesham, Gillingham & Rochester Upon Medway, Exeter, Gloucester, Halton & Warrington, Huntingdonshire & Peterborough, Northampton, Norwich, Spelthorne and the Wrekin. December 1995.
  26. ^ "Basildon Council to sell land it bought for £1m for £1". BBC News. 8 February 2019. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  27. ^ "Freedom of the Borough - Basildon". basildon.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  28. ^ a b Thomson, Charles (25 November 2019). "Basildon war hero and hospice founder awarded Freedom of the Borough". Yellow Advertiser. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  29. ^ Ferris, Mick (28 May 2021). "Freedom of Entry to the borough status awarded to Basildon's NHS heroes". Yellow Advertiser. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  30. ^ Emes, Toby (23 October 2021). "East of England Ambulance service given freedom of Basildon". The Basildon Canvey Southend Echo. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
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