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. Basildon was one of eight 'New Towns' created in the South East of England after the passing of the New Towns Act.
The development corporation had, by March 1964, completed nearly 12,000 houses, including some for private occupation, but they were not the only house builder in the new town. Since the second world war the local urban district council had provided 1,432 new homes to March 1964, and by May 1966 total ownership stood at 1,640.
Transfer made with Kodak 'Reels' digital converter
