Residents' Protection Association formed. Individual branches of the R.P.A. had existed since 1948, these being: Laindon, Basildon, Dunton, Pitsea and Vange, who collectively came together with the idea, among others, of securing seats on the local council. They were successful in the local elections with six of their members winning a seat. These were: Mr. F.A. Wilmott, Mr. E.C.S. Charrison, Mr. J.F. Rolski, Mr. T.S. Wallace, Mr. J.W. Hales and Mr. A.D. Selley. The R.P.A. was still active in the 1970s.

23rd February

Mr. Bernard Braine (later Sir) (23,803) is elected Conservative Member of Parliament for the new Billericay constituency including Basildon. He took the seat with a majority of 4,366 over Labour Co-operative opponent Albert Oram. Mr. Braine had previously stood unsuccessfully against Labour's Albert Betchervaise for the Leyton East seat in the 1945 general election. The Labour Party won the general election.

24th March

Pitsea Hall in Marsh Road, Pitsea is listed on the Ministry of Works buildings of historic interest list. It has since been designated Grade II listed status. The hall is now known as Cromwell Manor and located in Pitsea Hall Lane.

24th March

Holy Cross Church in Church Road, Basildon is listed on the Ministry of Works buildings of historic interest list. It has since been designated a Grade II* listed building.

24th March

St. Michael's Church in Church Path, Pitsea is listed on the Ministry of Works buildings of historic interest list. It has since been designated a Grade II listed building.

24th March

St. Nicholas Church in Church Hill, Laindon is listed on the Ministry of Works buildings of historic interest list. It has since been designated a Grade I listed building.

24th March

St. Peter's Church in Church Lane, Nevendon is listed on the Ministry of Works buildings of historic interest list. It has since been designated a Grade II* listed building.

24th March

Doves Farmhouse at 97 Pound Lane, Laindon is listed on the Ministry of Works buildings of historic interest list. It has since been designated a Grade II listed building.

24th March

Dry Street Farmhouse in Dry Street, Langdon Hills is listed on the Ministry of Works buildings of historic interest list. It has since been designated a Grade II listed building.

24th March

Great Chalvedon Hall in Rectory Road, Pitsea is listed on the Ministry of Works buildings of historic interest list. It has since been designated a Grade II listed building. The building was acquired by Basildon Council from the last tenants in the mid 1970s and leased to the Whitbread Brewery Co. for conversion to a public house. It is now in Tyefields and still in use as a public house.

24th March

The Rectory in Nevendon Road, Nevendon is listed on the Ministry of Works buildings of historic interest list. It has since been designated a Grade II listed building.

24th March

Nevendon Hall in Nevendon Road, Nevendon is listed on the Ministry of Works buildings of historic interest list. It has since been designated a Grade II listed building.

24th March

The Five Bells public house at London Road, Vange is listed on the Ministry of Works buildings of historic interest list. It has since been designated a Grade II listed building.

24th March

The Cottage - nos. 1 and 2 Paynters Hill, Vange is listed on the Ministry of Works buildings of historic interest list. It has since been designated a Grade II listed building.

24th March

The Lighthouse in Lee Chapel Lane, Langdon Hills is listed on the Ministry of Works buildings of historic interest list. It has since been designated a Grade II listed building.

24th March

Hawksbury Manor in Hawksbury Bush Lane, Vange is listed on the Ministry of Works buildings of historic interest list. It has since been designated a Grade II listed building.

13th May

The Rt. Hon. Hugh Dalton, M.P., Minister of Town and Country Planning, visits Basildon. The minister, who had recently succeeded Lewis Silkin, was on a fact finding mission and as part of his tour he visited the Crown Hotel public house in Langdon Hills. He concluded his trip with a visit to Basildon Development Corporation's Gifford House headquarters at Bowers Gifford. His visit to Gifford House drew the attention of two members of the Pitsea branch of the Residents' Protection Association, Mr. F.A. Willmott and Mr. W. Campbell, who brazenly displayed a large 6ft x 9ft hoarding with the words 'DOES DALTON DECLARE DEATH TO FREEHOLD' as a greeting message from the roadside.

9th June

Sir Lancelot Keay, Chairman of Basildon Development Corporation, cuts the first sod in the creation of Basildon's first new road East Mayne. East Mayne, known as Road 1 on the Corporation's Master Plan, was built in stages with the first section between the A127 running parallel with Nevendon Road to a junction with Burnt Mills Road. It initially served the No.1 Industrial Estate where factories were under construction from 1951 onwards. The new road, which was duel carriageway throughout, was later designated A132 following its eventual completion to a new roundabout where it would link up with Broadmayne (Road 2), when that road was completed in the early 1960s.

August

The Pitsea Carnival returns. The annual carnival which was suspended in 1940 following the outbreak of World War Two would continue yearly until around 1957 when the Basildon Carnival was launched. This years carnival queen, Daphne Ashbourne, was crowned by Billericay M.P. Bernard Braine.