Blenheim House shopping block at South Walk, Basildon completed. Work on the town centre block of twenty shop units and function hall began in 1958 in two phases. Phase 1, consisting of the function hall and units 1 - 4 was completed during 1959 with the remainder of the units in phase 2 open for business by autumn 1960. Some of the first traders to open included James Bews florist at No. 2, H.T. Dwyer newsagents at No.3 and toy shop at Nos. 12 and 13, Wimpy Bar at No.5 and Gertrude's Fashion House at No. 6. The function hall opened in 1961 as the Locarno Ballroom run by Mecca Dancing Ltd. Two interesting features of the shopping block is the commemoration foundation stone, dated April 29th 1960, laid above the subway at the eastern end on behalf of the Murryfield Real Estate Company and the 314 foot long mosaic mural by the artist William Gordon above units 5 - 20. The mural was reputed to be one of the longest in the country but was later replaced in the mid 1990s by the present 'Timeline' one.

Lourdes Hall in Whitmore Way, Fryerns officially opened. The multifunctional hall, which was built on behalf of the Catholic Church, was also licensed and for many years the home of St. Basil's Catholic Social Club. In the mid 2000s the Catholic Church sold the site to a property developer who demolished the hall in 2006. Planning permission was eventually granted for a residential development of 17 houses.

A petrol filling station at Whitmore Way, Fryerns opened. The garage, located next to the future Double Six public house, is run by Holmes and Smith who would later open another in Great Oaks. In 1961 a vehicle repair garage on the same site was completed. Years later the petrol station was closed for a number of years but reopened sometime in the 1990s under the Jet brand, though not the repair garage, and has remained open ever since. It is now a Murco petrol station with Costcutter Express foodstore. A car wash also operates on the same site.

The first houses on the Kingswood 3 estate off Sparrows Herne are offered for sale. The estate was built on behalf of Basildon Development Corporation and comprised around 300 homes arranged around turnings named after birds. A three bedroomed house was on offer for £2,695 with four bedroomed properties selling for £2,945. All had central heating. Prospective buyers could sample their layout at a show home, opened in Sparrows Herne.

Work begins on the Lee Chapel South housing area No.4. It comprises 505 dwellings of mainly two and three bedroomed houses, flats and 129 garages. The new estate was designed on behalf of Basildon Development Corporation by the architects Atkinson, Smith and Heywood. Its cost was put at £945,727. The development, which included the continuation of Great Gregorie, introduced new street names Ardleigh, Lee Walk, Staneway and Paprills.

16th January

Pitsea and Basildon Congregational Church Hall and Manse officially opened. Built at Honeypot Lane at the junction with Whitmore Way in Fryerns, the new church hall and manse cost nearly £18,000 of which part was raised through the sale of their previous building in Rectory Park Drive, Pitsea. Officiating at the opening service was newly appointed minister Rev. E.W. Southey. The hall was multi-functional sharing the church's social activities with services. In 1972 a union between the Congregational Church in England and Wales and the Presbyterian Church of England resulted in the formation of the United Reformed Church which it remains today.

4th March

H.R.H. Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh visits Basildon to officially switch on a new piece of automated machinery at the new Carreras Rothmans cigarette making factory in Christopher Martin Road on the Nevendon Industrial Estate No.1. The duke piloted his own helicopter and was met by the Lord Lieutenant of Essex, Sir John Archibald Ruggles-Brise. After switching on the machine - an automated, pneumatic tobacco feed system - he left the factory for a tour of Basildon town centre with Basildon Development Corporation Chairman Sir Humfrey Gale.

15th March

Keay House in Town Square, Basildon opened. The office block, named after the 1st Chairman of Basildon Development Corporation, Sir Lancelot Keay, is located at 88 Town Square in three storeys above shop units 78-104. It became home to various solicitors and there has been a dental practice there since 1960. For many years Basildon Council had some departments there which would later relocate to the Basildon Centre. A Town Square regeneration project; begun in 1996 to create a more open plaza, involved the demolition of part of Keay House that overhung the square. This also involved the removal or destruction of the west facing coloured mosaic wall mural adorning an outer wall. This may still exist in one form or another. The building was then renamed Southgate House.

29th March

Basildon Urban District Council vacate some of their departments in Billericay to Keay House, Town Square, Basildon. The Clerk's, Treasurer's and Engineer's departments made the move to Basildon where the council have occupation of the 2nd and 3rd floors of Block J in accommodation that includes a committee room. Some departments would remain there until the early 1990s.

2nd April

Trinity Methodist Church in Timberlog Lane (now 481 Clay Hill Road), Vange opened. Services had previously been held at nearby Gordon Hall, when the New Town Methodist Church merged with the Free Church in 1954. Rev. Percy D. Beckwith, Chairman of the London N.E. District performed the service of dedication. A youth centre costing £25,000 was later built adjacent to the church, which opened around 1964.

13th April

Laindon County Secondary School swimming pool opened. The open-air pool was built at a cost of around £4,000, part of which came from fund raising events held during the preceding years. Alderman William Bennett, C.B.E., Vice-Chairman of Essex County Council performed the opening duties. The pool was eventually roofed over in 1972 and survived to closure of the school (as James Hornsby High) in 2000. It was then demolished along with the rest of the school in 2007.

September

The first new library to be built and opened is Fryerns in Whitmore Way.

September

Fryerns Community Centre in Whitmore Way opened.

September

The first bus service to be routed through Long Riding in the Barstable area of Basildon introduced. The new twice hourly (peak time) service, numbered 241 and operated by Eastern National Omnibus Company, ran from Pitsea railway station to Basildon town centre via Vange and Timberlog Lane. In 1966 the service was extended at each end with most services now beginning at Kenneth Road, Pitsea (some morning services still terminated/started at Pitsea Station) and continuing from Basildon town centre to Laindon Station via Ballards Walk, St. Nicholas Lane and High Road, Laindon to become the second Laindon - Pitsea cross town service after the 244. The buses used were double dekker rear entry Bristol KS5G and LD5G driver conductor models. These were all replaced by the 1970s with new Bristol VRT front entry models which dispensed with the conductor. Initially the service was controversial as some of the tenants felt the width of Long Riding to be insufficient for bus use and organised a petition in protest at its introduction. Despite that it ran until 1978 when a new 500 numbering series was introduced.

September

Basildon Development Corporation's revised Master Plan to increase the population within the designated area from 80,000 to 106,000 is approved by Henry Brooke, MP, Minister at the Ministry of Housing and Local Government.

17th October

Nevendon Service Station in Honywood Road, opened. The garage on opening sold Shell petrol and offered on-site car servicing. The garage also became an agent to the French car maker Renault.

3rd December

Arne Court, Laindon, old people's sheltered accommodation opened. The new Council run complex off Holst Avenue was opened by the Council's chairman, Councillor W.H. Davies, J.P. The accommodation consists of a two storey block of 24 bed sitting rooms and a single storey block of 7 bed sitting rooms for aged couples - linked by a lounge and communal rooms with an upper floor warden flat.
The complex is now used as temporary housing for a wide variety of needs.