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| accessdate = 2006-11-08}}</ref> The Festival Leisure Park, includes several restaurants, a bowling and arcade centre, two hotels, a Sixteen screen cinema and two health clubs as well as the third largest nightclub complex in the UK. Locally, the Festival Leisure Park is colloquially known as "Bas Vegas", a well known trouble spot, especially on Friday and Saturday nights, usually fuelled by alcohol. This name which was adopted by the organisation in charge of the new casino development, who used the slogan on signs welcoming people into Basildon by road.
| accessdate = 2006-11-08}}</ref> The Festival Leisure Park, includes several restaurants, a bowling and arcade centre, two hotels, a Sixteen screen cinema and two health clubs as well as the third largest nightclub complex in the UK. Locally, the Festival Leisure Park is colloquially known as "Bas Vegas", a well known trouble spot, especially on Friday and Saturday nights, usually fuelled by alcohol. This name which was adopted by the organisation in charge of the new casino development, who used the slogan on signs welcoming people into Basildon by road.


In 1989 the culture and history of the town was documented by the newly re-opened Towngate Theatre, when it commissioned a community play from [[Arnold Wesker]] for the town's 40th anniversary. The potted history that Wesker called "Boerthal's Hill" was acted out by a 100 or so members of the community and portrayed a welcoming haven for visitors. Although it was generally positive in its view of the town, controversy arose where the play touched on the apparent [[racism]] of politicians throughout the 1970s.{{Citation mostly needed|date=July 2010}}
In 1989 the culture and history of the town was documented by the newly re-opened Towngate Theatre, when it commissioned a community play from [[Arnold Wesker]] for the town's 40th anniversary. The potted history that Wesker called "Boerthal's Hill" was acted out by a 100 or so members of the community and portrayed a welcoming haven for visitors. Although it was generally positive in its view of the town, controversy arose where the play touched on the apparent [[racism]] of politicians throughout the 1970s.{{Citation needed|date=July 2010}} Enoch Powell is an unccol bloke. He never did anything for cool-britannia.


==Modern architectural buildings==
==Modern architectural buildings==

Revision as of 08:24, 27 September 2011

For other uses, see Basildon (disambiguation).
Basildon
Basildon Plaza
Population169,822 [1] (2010)
OS grid referenceTQ735895
• London25.6 Miles
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBasildon
Postcode districtSS13 - SS16
Dialling code01268
PoliceEssex
FireEssex
AmbulanceEast of England
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Essex

Basildon (/[invalid input: 'icon']ˈbæzɪldən/)[citation needed] is a town located in the Basildon Borough of the county of Essex, England.[2]

It lies 25.6 miles (41 km) east of central London[3] and 11 miles (18 km) south of the county town of Chelmsford. Nearby towns include Billericay to the north, Wickford northeast, and South Benfleet to the east.

It was designated as a new town after World War II in 1948 to accommodate the London population overspill,[4] created from the conglomeration of four small villages, namely Pitsea, Laindon, Basildon and Vange (the new town took the name Basildon as it was the most central of the four villages).

The local government district of Basildon, formed in 1974, encapsulates a larger area than the town itself; the two neighbouring towns of Billericay and Wickford, as well as rural villages and smaller settlements set among the surrounding countryside, fall within its borders.

History

Further information: New towns in the United Kingdom

The first historical reference to Basildon is in records from 1086. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book as 'Belesduna'.[5] The name 'Basildon' is derived from the Anglo-Saxon personal name 'Boerthal' and the Anglo-Saxon word 'dun', meaning hill.[6] In historical documents, this name had various forms over the centuries, including Berdlesdon, Batlesdon and Belesduna.[6]

Railway service started in the nineteenth century to Pitsea (1856) and Laindon (1888) but it was only later that proposals to provide service to the New Town of Basildon, shelved for many years because of concerns that it would simply become a commuter suburb of London, were eventually forced through. A significant number of modern day residents do commute to London.

By the beginning of the 1900s, Basildon had evolved with much of the land having been sold in small plots during a period of land speculation and development taking placed haphazardly with building by plotowners ranging from shelters created from recycled materials to brick-built homes and with amenities such as water, gas, electricity and hard-surfaced roads lacking.[7]

In the 1940s, Billericay Urban District Council and Essex County Council, concerned by lack of amenities in the area and by its development, petitioned the Government to create a New Town.[7] Basildon was one of eight 'New Towns' created in the South East of England after the passing of the New Towns Act.[8] On 4 January 1949 Lewis Silkin, Minister of Town and Country Planning, officially designated Basildon as a 'New Town'. Basildon Development Corporation was formed in February 1949 to transform the designated area into a modern new town. The New Town incorporated Laindon and Pitsea[8] and was laid out around small neighbourhoods with the first house being completed in June 1951.[7] The first tenants moved into homes in Redgrave Road in Vange.[9] In March 2010 Basildon paid homage to the famous white Hollywood sign by creating their own version. At five feet tall, the new sign is one-tenth of the height of the Hollywood original. This is part of a doubtful rejuvenation plan aimed "to bring the town into the 21st Century and to attract more visitors", while many citizens have raised questions about the effectiveness of this spending in a moment where the town is affected by a lot more urgent social problems.

Politics

Further information: Basildon (UK Parliament constituency), Basildon and Billericay (UK Parliament constituency), South Basildon and East Thurrock (UK Parliament constituency), Essex local elections, Basildon local elections, and Essex Man

The constituency of Basildon was considered a barometer of public opinion in general elections.[10] The results of the constituency elections have been the same as the overall result of general elections since 1974.[11] Basildon was said to epitomise the working class conversion to Thatcherism during the 1980s. "Basildon Man" or "Essex Man" was coined to describe an aspirational working class Conservative voter.[12] The current MP is Tory politician John Baron. Due to boundary changes, in the 2010 General Election the Basildon and Billericay constituency elected 1 MP and South Basildon and East Thurrock elected another MP.

In terms of local politics Basildon District elects five Councillors to Essex County Council.[13] Following the 2009 Local Elections all five of these representatives are Conservative.[13] Basildon Borough Council has also had a Conservative majority since the 2003 council election.[14] Noak Bridge has a parish council.[15]

Transport

Road

On the north side of the town, the A127 Southend Arterial Road and on the south side is the A13. The A127 is nearest to Basildon Town Centre at approximately 1.5 miles and the A13 approximately 2 miles. They both allow easy access to the M25 and the rest of the motorway network, placing Stansted within 36 miles (58 km), Gatwick within 51 (82 km) and London City Airport just 25 miles (40 km). The A127 and the A13 are both important commuter trunk roads to London as well as linking the town to Southend. Locally, the A13 gives easier access to Pitsea and Vange and the A127 gives more convenient access to the town centre and Laindon.

Schematic of 'Mayne' roads

Within the town, a number of main road names have included 'mayne' in their name. They link the town to and from the A13 and the A127.East Mayne(A132) runs between the junction of the A127 and the roundabout east of Barstable School. Two of the 'mayne' roads join this roundabout Broadmayne (A1321) goes to the town centre, in fact the northerly of the roundabouts at Roundacre and South Mayne(A132) goes to Pitsea. Nethermayne(A176) starts at the southerly of the roundabouts at Roundacre and joins the A13 at the Five Bells Roundabout. Also Upper Mayne(A176) goes from the northerly of the roundabouts at Roundacre and joins the A127 and West Mayne (B148) runs from a roundabout in Laindon and joins the A127 at Dunton.

Rail

Pitsea railway station, Basildon railway station and Laindon railway station are all on the London, Tilbury & Southend line, and serve Southend in around 20 minutes and London Fenchurch Street in 35 minutes operated by c2c.

Wickford railway station and Billericay railway station within Basildon district are on the Shenfield to Southend Line serving Liverpool Street station operated by National Express East Anglia.

Bus

Bus service, mainly operated by First Essex Buses Ltd connect the town to nearby towns including Billericay and Wickford.

Future transport plans

A127, Basildon Enterprise Corridor

Basildon Enterprise Corridor
LocationEssex
ProposerEssex County Council
Cost estimate£14.7m
Completion dateMarch 2011

As part of Basildon's redevelopment Essex County Council have proposed that the A127 undergo significant development at a cost of £15 million and is expected to be finished by March 2011. It is funded via the Community Infrastructure Fund (CIF). The majority of the work will take place at Noak Bridge, Fairglen and East Mayne.[16]

Shopping

Main article: Eastgate Shopping Centre (Basildon)
Brooke House, a block of flats, situated in Basildon Town Centre.

The town centre boasts many high street stores. As well as shops and coffee houses in East Walk there is the Eastgate Shopping Centre which is also situated in the Town Centre, home to over 100 retailers. Further outlets can be found at Westgate Shopping park and there is also a pavement market selling fresh fruit and vegetables, clothing and household goods.

Education

Main articles: List of secondary schools in Essex and List of primary schools in Essex

There are several secondary schools in the Basildon District:

The Laindon High Road School served the area of Laindon. In 1998 it was renamed James Hornsby High School when students from the nearby St Nicholas School amalgamated. After extensive work at the St Nicholas school, mostly to remove asbestos, students were moved to the site in 1999-2000 under the new school name of James Hornsby High School and the former Laindon High School in the High Road was later demolished; and new housing put in its place.

In 1968 Timberlog Secondary School, (now demolished for housing) was combined with the then Barstable Grammar School to become a comprehensive school.

Twinning

Basildon's twin towns include:

Regeneration plans

Throughout Basildon there are major developments planned estimated to total nearly £2 billion.[19] These include:

Society, leisure and popular culture

Further information: Festival Leisure Park (Basildon) and Gloucester Park, Basildon
Festival Leisure Park

Festival Leisure Park is a trading leisure park located in the north of Basildon. Revamped and renamed as BasVegas it is owned by Aviva.[20] The Festival Leisure Park, includes several restaurants, a bowling and arcade centre, two hotels, a Sixteen screen cinema and two health clubs as well as the third largest nightclub complex in the UK. Locally, the Festival Leisure Park is colloquially known as "Bas Vegas", a well known trouble spot, especially on Friday and Saturday nights, usually fuelled by alcohol. This name which was adopted by the organisation in charge of the new casino development, who used the slogan on signs welcoming people into Basildon by road.

In 1989 the culture and history of the town was documented by the newly re-opened Towngate Theatre, when it commissioned a community play from Arnold Wesker for the town's 40th anniversary. The potted history that Wesker called "Boerthal's Hill" was acted out by a 100 or so members of the community and portrayed a welcoming haven for visitors. Although it was generally positive in its view of the town, controversy arose where the play touched on the apparent racism of politicians throughout the 1970s.[citation needed] Enoch Powell is an unccol bloke. He never did anything for cool-britannia.

Modern architectural buildings

The Town of Basildon currently has many modern Modern Architectural Structures due to the Town's economic growth. Basildon has many 'tall' structures and buildings in comparison to other New Towns that were constructed in the 1950s-1960s. One of Basildon's first tall buildings was 'Brooke House', a tall block of flats situated in the Basildon Town Centre. However, since the incline of trade in the Town Centre, many great business buildings have been constructed in central Basildon. Although there are many tall buildings in Central Basildon, there are also many newly constructed buildings closer to the 'Basildon Enterprise Corridor' situated in North Basildon, these buildings/constructions have gained much fame with the local community and neighboring townsman.

Media

Basildon has its own community radio station which is aimed towards the residents of Basildon, East Thurrock, and its surrounding areas called Gateway 97.8 which broadcasts from the Eastgate Shopping centre.

Healthcare

Further information: Basildon and Thurrock University Hospital and List of hospitals in Essex

Sports

Football Clubs

Rugby Clubs

  • Basildon RC

Cricket Club

  • Basildon and Pitsea CC

Notable people

Nearest places

See also

References

  1. ^ "Budget & Financial Forecast 2009-2010" (pdf). basildon.gov.uk. Retrieved 2011-05-24.
  2. ^ Countyelections.essexcc.gov.uk
  3. ^ "Basildon History Services Information Guide". Basildon.com. 2002-02-24. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
  4. ^ "Basildon History Online". Basildon.com. 2009-07-16. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
  5. ^ "National Archive Summary Record for Basildon". nationalarchives.gov.uk. 2006. Retrieved 2006-11-08. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  6. ^ a b "The History". Basildon. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
  7. ^ a b c Peers, Deborah (November 2008). "Once upon a time in ... Basildon". Essex Life. Archant. pp. 72–73. Retrieved 2009-01-24. (Registration required)
  8. ^ a b Basildon.com
  9. ^ "A Chronological History 1950 - 1959". Basildon. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
  10. ^ Boggan, Steve (1997-03-27). "Basildon opens its doors to the big guns - UK Politics, UK". London: The Independent. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
  11. ^ "John Harris on former tabloid editor Andy Coulson's success as David Cameron's spin doctor | Media". London: The Guardian. 2007-11-03. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
  12. ^ Dennis Hayes and Alan Hudson (1993-01-01). "spiked-politics | Article | Basildon Man: beyond the shell-suits". Spiked-online.com. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
  13. ^ a b "Essex County Council Election Results - Map Of Divisions". Countyelections.essexcc.gov.uk. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
  14. ^ "England council elections". BBC News Online. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
  15. ^ "Noak Bridge Parish Council | Home". Essexinfo.net. 2009-07-21. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
  16. ^ "A127 Basildon Enterprise Corridor". Essex County Council. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Essex County Council". Essexcc.gov.uk. Retrieved 2009-08-06. [dead link]
  18. ^ a b Basildon Council - Basildon's Twin Towns, Heiligenhaus & Meaux
  19. ^ "Basildon Renaissance Update" (PDF). davidlawson.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  20. ^ "Leisure real estate market makes waves (appeared in Property Week February 1998)". davidlawson.co.uk. 2006. Retrieved 2006-11-08. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  21. ^ Soccerbase.com
  22. ^ BirminghambilliardsS.com
  23. ^ Soccerbase.com
  24. ^ Catherine Milner (27 August 2005). "If Kafka made the dinner..." Telegraph. Retrieved 27 May 2011.
  25. ^ Miller, Jonathan, Stripped:Depeche Mode, p3
  26. ^ "Denise Van Outen, famous people from Basildon". Information-britain.co.uk. 2007-06-22. Retrieved 2009-08-06.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Basildon.
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