1970

The Joker public house at the new Laindon Shopping Centre opens.

Barstable Community Centre in South Riding, opened. Built at a cost of £35,000, the facility is used for a wide variety of functions.

18 June

Robert McCrindle (47,719) elected Conservative MP for the Billericay constituency including Basildon. Majority 3,954. Conservatives win General Election.

29 June

The first Traffic Warden, a woman, is employed. Employed principally to work in Basildon town centre, the warden is soon joined by others where their mandate is to 'assist' the motorist rather than book the offender.

11 August

Basildon United F.C. opening game at The Stadium, their new ground at Gardiners Close (formerly Rectory Road), against a West Ham United XI. The match, held on a Tuesday with a 6.30. p.m. kick off, was watched by a 3,600 crowd that included West Ham stars Jimmy Greaves and Geoff Hurst. West Ham won the game 4-0. They are also granted full senior status by the Essex FA. In the 2000s the ground became known as The Hive and United, whose nickname then was the U's and is now the Bees, can still be watched there today though there is growing uncertainty over the future of the ground due to landowner English Partnerships regeneration plans for the area.

10 October

Kingswood Play Centre opened. The new centre in Clay Hill Road was built at a cost of £15,600 and opened by Basildon Council's Chairman, James Lyon. It was the first permanent building built for use in the Council's Play Leadership scheme for children up to 14, with all equipment available for use free of charge. A Council run playgroup was soon established which continued through to December 2004. From January 2005 this became privately run and known as Kingswood Pre-School. There is also an enclosed outside play area within the grounds.

31 October

Century cinema in High Road, Pitsea closes. Opened as the Broadway in 1930, it became the Century on 15th February 1955 following a takeover by Granada, who following closure changed its use to bingo and renamed it Granada Social Club. It was later taken over by brewery company Bass and in 1991 renamed Gala as part of the Gala Bingo chain of clubs. In 1997 Bass sold its bingo concern and though the Gala name continued its current owner, Gala Coral, closed the club on 27th July, 2009 due to a company reorganisation that also saw other Gala clubs closed throughout the United Kingdom. The building is still a prominent feature of the Broadway though its future at present is uncertain.

1971

Mr. Arthur Kelting succeeds Mr. William Balch as Chairman of Basildon Development Corporation.

25 April

Population Census for Basildon district; 80,252.

13 September

Basildon College of Further Education opens in Nether Mayne. The college, constructed on a 20 acre site, opened ahead of schedule and the first term, which commenced on the 13th September, featured a wealth of courses including a novices 'computers in business' lesson. In August 2001 following a merger with Thurrock it was renamed Thurrock and Basildon College and following another merger, this time with Southend Campus, became South Essex College from 1st January, 2010.

5 September

The A.B.C. (Associated British Cinemas) cinema opens. Love Story & On the Buses are the first films shown at the new two screen cinema. ABC 1, with seating for 644 and larger screen, was also used for the popular 'Saturday morning picture shows' which ran throughout the 1970s. The smaller ABC 2 seated 455. Opening prices were: Adults, 55p and 45p, Children, 30p and 25p. Another feature of the building was a restaurant which was later converted to a third 92 seat cinema utilising a new video system of projection which opened on 5th July, 1979. From 1986 it became Cannon following the Cannon group's takeover of all ABC's operational cinemas. This lasted until 1994 by which time Cannon, who were then part of MGM Cinemas, opted to close the cinema citing competition from Thurrock's new Lakeside Warner Brothers and UCI multiplexes. Later in 1994 cinema chain Robins took over through to what may appear to be the final closure in December 1999.

15 September

Laindon Health Centre opened by Alfred Morris Esq., M.P. Among others taking part in the opening ceremony were Urban District Council Chairman, Joe Morgan; Councillor John Costello and Town Manager David Taylor. Basildon Council architects Kenneth S. Cotton and Adrian Neaves were responsible for the design, which cost more than £180,000 to build. Thomas Bates & Son Ltd were responsible for its construction.

October

Pitsea railway station refurbishment completed. Among the new British Rail funded changes is a modern single story entrance and ticket office, built at a cost of around £20,000, which replaced the former station house and booking hall buildings that dated back to the 1800s.

5 November

Basildon Round Table hold their seventh annual Firework Fiesta and bonfire at Laindon Link, Lee Chapel North. Providing additional entertainment were the Basildon Drum & Trumpet Corp. The field used is now part of the Parklands housing estate and the Most Holy Trinity church and hall.

10 November

Marks & Spencer opens its new store in Town Square. The upper third floor was later extended to the full length of the building. In the 2000s an upstairs restaurant opened.

1972

Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Wickhay, Lee Chapel North opened. This new church was built to replace the smaller church sited closeby at Roundacre in Laindon Link which had opened in 1963. Living accomodation and a large hall were also provided on the same site.

Bluehouse Farm Community Centre in Laindon Link, Laindon opened. Built on a site close to the former Bluehouse Farm at a cost of £92,000, the new centre was a joint venture between Basildon Council and the Basildon Development Corporation.

The first Basildon town centre multi-storey car park in Great Oaks is completed. Built on five levels with parking for 1,100 vehicles, the car park has lifts, a toilet block and a ground floor security office. A later addition on level 3 was a pedestrian bridge spanning Great Oaks which was removed in the 2000s.

Automated car parking barriers installed at car parks in Basildon town centre as charges are introduced.

New Basildon Town Square shops, office and leisure complex called Block S reaches completion during the year. Built between Marks & Spencer and No 19 Town Square, the new development is linked to the town via an escalator and stairway. Caters supermarket and Russell's Jeweller's were the first new shops to open in the block, which would later include Taylor's department store, The Highway public house, Sweeney's discotheque and the Jackpot Bingo Club. The office complex was named Northgate House.

The first homes on the new Woodlands Estate, Kingswood Road, Kingswood completed. The new development, a mix of bungalows and split level houses with flat roofs, was built by Nationwide Homes Ltd on an 18 acre site. The design architects were Peter Phippen, Peter Randall & David Parkes.

Essex Centre Hotel in Pipps Hill Road South (now Waterfront Walk) opens. Later becoming Crest Hotel, Forte Post House, and now Holiday Inn, it boasts executive features & 120 bedrooms (148 by 2005), and fine views overlooking the newly created Aquatels recreational lake. Builders Costain were involved in its construction.

March

The Thalian Theatre Group formed. Basildon based amateur dramatics company with regular stage performances right up to the present. Their first production was Kevin Laffan's Zoo Zoo Widdershins Zoo, performed at the Arts Centre (later renamed Towngate Theatre), Basildon. Their name is derived from the Greek goddess Thalia - the Muse of comedy and pastoral poetry. Michael Betteridge is the first elected chairman.

August

The Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints in Laindon Link, Laindon opened.

1 September

St. Anselms Roman Catholic secondary school in Ghyllgrove, Fryerns opens. In 1996 the school was renamed De La Salle.

December

The first occupants began moving into houses on the Lee Chapel North 7 development. This housing project, funded in part by the private sector, would eventually comprise 172 dwellings when finally completed in 1975. The estate, partly built over formerly residential Elizabeth Drive, woodland and a football pitch once used by Lee Chapel North F.C., is more commonly known as Parklands.

1973

The A13 realignment scheme is completed. The new duel carriageway road linking the Five Bells roundabout at Vange with London Road, Pitsea, was planned back in the 1950s. A second phase, linking Pitsea with the Sadlers Farm roundabout, was completed in the 1980s.

Aquatels Zoo and Ecology Centre opened in Pipps Hill Close, Basildon. The Zoo grounds were later extended when development corporation compulsory purchase orders were issued against Pipps Hill Close homeowners. One of the occupiers fought a lengthy battle over compensation, which eventually reached a satisfactory conclusion. The zoo closed in the 1980s and the Festival Leisure Hall opened in the main building. The whole site is now lost to the Festival Leisure Park, which began opening attractions in 1997.

Langdon Hills open spaces at Westley Heights and One Tree Hill are declared Country Parks.

1 April

Basildon Hospital in Nether Mayne opens. A campaign for a hospital to serve Basildon had begun as early as 1954. As the towns population grew, resources at the two existing hospitals serving the area namely; Orsett and Billericay's St. Andrews, were often stretched to full capacity. After a number of lengthy delays and consultations construction work finally began on the 32 acre site in 1967.

April

Basildon Zoo in London Road, Vange, opened. The Zoo, situated on a 4.6 acre site close to Vange primary school, was one of two in Basildon opened in the 1970s. It closed in November 2001 amid a blaze of bad publicity concerning the living conditions and general welfare of its animal occupants.

April

Sweeney's Discotheque in High Pavement, Basildon town centre opens. Named after the fictional 19th century character Sweeney Todd 'The Demon Barber of Fleet Street', the purpose built disco has a capacity of 275 and cost around £30,000. It closed in the 1990s.

29 April

The Temple of Light Spiritualist Church in Bedford Road, Laindon opened. Construction of this new building had begun in 1965 following approval of the plans. The original plan had been to house the building on land in the Falstones area of Lee Chapel North but this later changed when the Basildon Development Corporation provided a former residential plot at Bedford Road. Prior to the opening date 'Temple of Light' services were held for approximately 27 years at the British Legion Hall in High Road, Laindon.

21 July

Gloucester Park athletics track officially opened. Costing £22,000, the 400 metre 8 lane track, sited at the northern end of the park, was opened by the director of the National Sports Council, Walter Winterbottom. The centre area has hosted many local area football finals, where the venue is often referred to as Gloucester Park Bowl, due to the hilly landscaping.

August

Basildon Samaritans move to a new address at 16 Little Lullaway on the Lee Chapel North estate. The development corporation owned bungalow predates the new town; being one of around 14 to escape demolition when the estate was first constructed in the early 1960s. Prior to the move the Basildon Samaritans branch, created in 1966, had been based as 35a The Fremnels, Fryerns. Sometime during the mid 2000s a full width extension was added to the rear of the bungalow to create more offices. This was opened on 27th January 2006 by local MP Angela Smith.

31 August

Langdon Hills Primary School closes after 64 years. A new larger school, Lincewood Infant & Junior, was built in nearby Berry Lane to replace the High Road site, which remained open until the mid 1970s as an annexe. The building is still used for educational purposes, now being an Essex County Council run Children's Support Service Centre.

5 November

Basildon Round Table hold their firework fiesta and bonfire at Markhams Chase Recreation Ground, Laindon. This annual event is now held at Gloucester Park.

1974

28 February

Eric Moonman (33,499) elected to serve as Labour MP for the new Basildon constituency including Billericay. Majority 11,000. The General Election produced a hung parliament. The Labour party won the most seats.

1 April

The Basildon Urban District Council becomes The Basildon District Council.

10 October

Eric Moonman (32,298) re-elected to serve as Labour MP for the Basildon constituency including Billericay. Majority 10,551. Labour win General Election.

25 November

Basildon Railway station opens. After a long campaign begun in the 1950s, the first train to stop was the 4:45am bound for Fenchurch Street. The original proposed site was further east at the junction of Clay Hill Road, on land now occupied by a car park. The chosen site when completed included a new underbridge and subway network.

1975

Air Commodore Allen Mawer succeeds Mr. Charles Boniface as General Manager of the Basildon Development Corporation. Charles Boniface had held the post since 1954 and acquired the name "Mr Basildon" due to his commitment to the service of his job.

March

Station House office complex, built alongside the new Basildon Station in Cherrydown East, completed. The eight storey high building, occupying 741,000 sq. ft. of floor space, remained empty until 1977 when it was renamed Trafford House & became the headquarters of the Ford Motor Company's European Truck Division through to their departure in January 2011 when staff were transferred to their Technical Centre at Dunton.

1976

Basildon Yellow Advertiser newspaper launched. Initially based in Northgate House the advertiser is delivered free to over 50,000 homes in a distribution network that includes Billericay & Wickford. The advertiser group is now based at Acorn House in Great Oaks, Basildon and combines advertisements with local news stories over 100+ pages and can also be accessed on-line at their own internet website. The paper was once owned by publishers Trinity Mirror (Southern) who in August 2007 sold it to independent family-owned Tindle Newspapers Ltd. Following the acquisition the front banner was revised to include its creation year and it continues to offer an additional advertising wraparound begun earlier in the decade.

October

Pitsea Swimming pool in Rectory Park Drive opens. Situated opposite the Leisure Centre, the Basildon Council run facility offers general swimming and a lesson programme in its 25 x 12½m dimensions and maximum depth of 6 feet (1.8m).

1977

Church Walk House in Church Walk, Basildon completed. Three storey building built for occupation by Basildon Development Corporation as their property housing office on an area of waste ground when Pagel Mead was realigned to the west of St. Martin's Church. Its primary use for the public was as a rent office for residents with a corporation tenancy though there was a single cashier for Basildon Council tenants. The Citizens Advice Bureau were, for many years, also based there when the ground floor waiting area underwent a conversion during the 1980s. Basildon Council became the occupant on a lease arrangement following the Commission for New Towns transfer of properties in 1994 although rents were transferred to the Basildon Centre. The Council later vacated the building around 2008/09 and as of 2011 is now the home of New Campus Basildon run by SEEVIC College.

Eversley County Primary School in Crest Avenue, Pitsea opened.

16th century Great Chalvedon Hall in Tyefields, Pitsea purchased from its final residential owners by Basildon Council. It would subsequently find use as a public house.

September

Local fanzine "Strange Stories" begins publication priced at 20p. Mainly covering the local music scene with gig reviews, it ran to 20 monthly editions through to 1979. It was succeeded by a new magazine entitled "Some of That", which offered a wider topic whilst retaining the local musical aspect of Strange Stories.

1978

Mr. Douglas Galloway succeeds Air Commodore Allen Mawer as General Manager of the Basildon Development Corporation. He would remain in the post until 1986, when the Development Corporation was finally wound up. He then took up a post with the Commission for the New Towns and was also involved in the design of the belltower which stands in St. Martins Square, Basildon.

Tesco's supermarket in Pitsea opens. In 1997 the store was upgraded to become the first Tesco Extra to open in the UK and a first floor for clothing and electrical goods was added in 2006.

Basildon (Felmores) Bail Hostel at 1 Felmores, Pitsea opens. It is run by Essex Probation Service.

Grevatt Lodge, Rectory Road, Pitsea completed. Built as a sheltered housing scheme for older people, the care home comprises 32 flats of mobility standard. It received renovation works in 2007.

20 August

First major use of Gloucester Park's bandstand with all day "Rock Festival" headlined by local band "The Opposition". Also appearing, unscheduled, were Basildon band "The Vandals" whose lead singer was Alison Moyet who later went on to national success firstly as a member of Yazoo before embarking on a solo career.

30 September

Radio Basildon begin broadcasting from the basement of Brooke House in Basildon town centre. The new community based service utilised channel A of the Rediffusion piped television system installed in Development Corporation and Council homes. It closed down on 14th August 1987 and was not replaced. In 2004 a new community radio station, Gateway Fm, and operating from Kelting House, Basildon, began 28 day intermittant broadcasts on 87.7FM. In February 2010 they were awarded a five year community radio licence. The station was renamed Gateway97.8 in September 2010 when 24 hour a day broadcasting was launched.

1979

The Chalvedon Hall public house in Tyefields, Pitsea opens. Purchased in 1977 by Basildon Council, the hall was successfully converted to a public house until, following the general decline in the pub trade, it closed down in 2008. It is now under new ownership and following a refurbishment opened to the public again on 22nd January, 2010.

Tyrrell Court sheltered housing complex in Crest Avenue, Pitsea completed. The development comprised of 35 studio and one bedroomed flats for the elderly.

Maydells Court sheltered housing complex in Maydells, Pitsea completed. The development comprised of 48 one and two bedroomed flats for the elderly.

Sir Reginald Goodwin succeeds Mr. Arthur Kelting as Chairman of Basildon Development Corporation. Arthur Kelting would later give his name to a new office block built in Southernhay called Kelting House.

3 May

Harvey Proctor (37,919) elected to serve as Conservative MP for the Billericay constituency including Basildon. Majority 5,180. Conservatives win General Election.