1990

26 September

St. Luke's Hospice officially opened by the Duchess of Norfolk. The hospice, housed in the former Fobbing Farm in Nether Mayne was built to help cancer victims.

30 November

Basildon Magistrates Court in Great Oaks opened. Lord High Chancellor, The Right Honourable Lord Mackay of Clashfern performed the opening ceremony. Built at a cost of more than £2 Million, the new purpose built courthouse is a replacement for its ageing equal at Billericay. The chosen site had previously housed a temporary unemployment Benefit Office.

1991

21 April

Census statistics for the Basildon district; 161,124. Basildon Town; 100,924.

April

The Laindon (formerly Laindon Hotel) public house built in 1896 is demolished. The building had stood empty and boarded up before demolition following a fire.

July

A new Police Station is opened at Durham Road, Laindon. Previously a station had existed at Victoria Road but this had closed in 1967 when operations were centralised at Great Oaks in the town centre. During the 1980s a temporary station was established in an empty bungalow at 11A Worthing Road. This was closed on completion of the new building.

1992

9 April

David Amess (24,159) elected Conservative MP for the Basildon constituency for the third time. Majority 1,480. Conservative's win General Election.

1993

Sainsburys open a new store at Cricketers Way, Nevendon. The store is built on the former cricket field previously used by cigarette manufacturer, Carreras, whose social club was also located there.

22 April

Basildon athletic's runner Eamonn Martin wins the 13th annual London Marathon on his debut. He won in a time of 2:10:50 and to date remains the last Englishman to win this event.

1994

Tesco open a new superstore at Mandeville Way, Langdon Hills.

Great Berry neighbourhood centre at Langdon Hills completed.

31 January

The transfer of the Commission For The New Towns housing stock takes place with tenants offered a choice of landlord. The majority vote for the local Council as their new landlord, but some tenants opt for the Basildon Community Housing Association (BCHA).

1995

The Fortune of War roundabout at Laindon is closed off to right turns. The roundabout on the A127 had become a blackspot despite the earlier introduction of traffic lights. However, it continued to be a danger to motorists prompting a 20 Mph speed limit on its approaches. The unoperational roundabout is still in place - awaiting a decision on its future.

1996

Phase 1 of the Five Links regeneration programme in Laindon begins with the demolition and redevelopment of flats, maisonettes and underground garages at Laindon Link.

7 June

Basildon Crown and County Court opened at The Gore in Basildon. The purpose built building has 5 criminal courtrooms and 2 Civil District Judge chambers. It was opened by The Right Honourable Lord Justice Auld, the then Senior Presiding Judge for England and Wales.

July

Chowdhary primary school at Markhams Chase, Lee Chapel North closes. Opened in the 1960s, the school acquired its name from a well respected local Doctor who kept surgery in High Road, Laindon until the late 1950s. The school had been hit by a fire in June 1996 that destroyed the kitchen and swimming pool. Pupil numbers had dropped to just 60 by the time of closure. Final headteacher was Mrs. Enid Firman. The site of the school was demolished soon after and the site remained unused and overgrown up to early 2005 when it was cleared and then absorbed into the existing James Hornsby playing fields in a land deal that saw a portion of the latters playing field developed into a small extension of the Church View housing estate.

July

The first Basildon Festival is held at Wat Tyler Country Park in Pitsea. The free Basildon Council run two day annual event brings together local charities, businesses, voluntary organisations & homegrown talent from performing arts to bands. The festival venue changed for 2001 to Gloucester Park on a site behind the swimming pool before being resited for 2004, deeper into the park on playing fields beyond the fishing lake.

1997

Office World open a superstore in Great Oaks. The site was first used in 1963, when local car dealers Holmes and Smith opened a service station complete with car showroom and a Rootes Group (later Chrysler) dealership. Years later the BP petrol station closed, and until redevelopment its final business offered second hand car sales.

St. Martin's Square in Basildon Town Centre completed and formally named. The new square was officially opened by Local Government & Housing Minister, Hilary Armstrong, MP, and "name the square" local competition winners Lee Clary, 11, & Laura Anderson, 12. Work undertaken to replace the former turfed green included new paving, piers, seating and an ornate base for the wooden carved statue. Previously called Pagel Mead and linking Great Oaks with Fodderwick, through traffic access had ceased some years earlier.

TGI Friday's american bar and restaurant become the first attraction to open on the Festival Leisure Park at Cranes Farm Road, Basildon.

1 May

Angela Smith (29,646) becomes the 4th Labour elected candidate and the 1st woman to serve as MP for the newly created constituency of Basildon and East Thurrock. Majority 13,280. Labour win General Election.

5 July

Basildon Retro 97 held. This event, featuring modern and vintage motorsport vehicles, was held to raise funds for the Bell Tower planned for St. Martin's Square. Vehicles from all avenues of motorsport took part on a 3.4 mile circuit of roads specially closed off for the occasion. Former 16 times formula one grand prix winner Sir Stirling Moss was among the celebrity drivers.

1998

February

The Powerhouse public house in Clay Hill Road, Vange closes. Once called The Bull and popular for live music, it opened in the 1960s close to the site of the original Bull in what was then Bull Road. Flats were built on the site following demolition in 2002.

July

UCI cinema multiplex opens on the new Festival Leisure Park off Cranes Farm Road. Featuring 12 screens and seating for nearly three thousand, the new multiplex is also equipped with Infa-red hearing systems on every screen. In November 2004 United Cinemas International became part of the Odeon cinema chain, itself owned by the company Terra Firma. New cinema chain Empire Cinemas acquired the cinema in 2006, which on 5th May was renamed Empire.

July

Nicholas Comprehensive School in Leinster Road closes after 35 years. Mr. John Cooper is the last headteacher.

July

The Laindon Comprehensive School closes after 69 years.

8 September

The James Hornsby High School opens on the former Laindon High Road school site. Mrs. Jacqueline White is appointed headteacher. The new school would remain there until July 2000, while work to refurbish the former Nicholas school site at Leinster Road was carried out.

1999

12 March

Her Majesty The Queen (on her first visit to Basildon) and Prince Philip officially open the new 95ft steel and glass belltower in St. Martin's Square, Basildon. The Queen also unveiled a commemorative plaque within the Basildon Centre, celebrating 50 years of Basildon New Town.

10 May

English Partnerships founded. The UK government's national regeneration agency and successor to the Commission For The New Towns and the Urban Regeneration Agency. Some land acquired by the development corporation during construction of the new town is now under its ownership, though attemps at new development schemes in some areas has so far met with strong local opposition. It retains the powers of its predecessors.

31 August

Fryerns Community School closes. Opened originally as Craylands in 1935, the school merged with Fryerns in 1968, finally becoming Fryerns Community School in 1994 through to closure and the end of 64 years of education at the Craylands site.

November

The Westgate Shopping Park opened. Built at a cost of £30 Million, the 142,000 sq ft, shopping park was officially opened by Basildon Council Chairman, Lynda Gordon. The area, on parts of Fodderwick & Towngate, had previously housed the Council run Arts Centre and their own offices, as well as the central library. Argos, MVC, Shoe City, Wilkinson, Rosebys, Powerhouse and J.D. Sports are just some of the first shops to open in the new complex.

December

Robins cinema in North Gunnels, Basildon town centre, closes. Opened in 1971 as the ABC, it became Cannon in 1986 through to 1994 when, following a brief closure, cinema chain Robins took over for the final years. The three screen cinema's final ticket prices were £2.00.