York Shipley open a refrigeration plant at Gardiners Lane (later Gardiners Lane South) on the No.1 Industrial Estate at Nevendon. York Shipley, whose name originated from York, Pennsylvania, have since 1956 been part of the Borg-Warner International Group. Employing over 1000 people, including locals employed on the company's apprenticeship schemes, much of the workforce had relocated to Basildon from their North Circular Road factory in London, N.W.2. The factory, which occupies a twenty acre site, was later modernised around 1973/4 with an additional 66,950 square feet of floor space. An additional office building was also constructed at the Cranes Farm Road end. The plant eventually closed in 2006 and the site was completely cleared during 2007 to make way for a new for a new commercial development.

Waterloo House shopping block at East Walk/South Gunnels in Basildon town centre completed. The three storey block of shops, forming even numbers 2 - 20 on the south side of East Walk and odd numbered 1 - 13 on the eastern side of South Gunnels, was under construction during 1960 being fully completed in early 1961. It was built by Richard Costain Ltd., who were responsible for a number of other town centre buildings. Some of the first traders to occupy the East Walk units were Barclays Bank at No. 2, Shepherd's Restaurant at No. 4, Timpson shoes at No. 6 and Bermans children's store at 14-20, and in South Gunnels: Martin's newsagent at No. 1 and Toni's ice cream parlour at No. 5. It was designed by architects J. Seymour Harris and Partners and has a foundation stone set in the rear wall laid on April 29th 1960 by Mrs Walter Flack representing Murryfield Real Estate Company Ltd. An interesting feature is an elevated projection above No.4 which was a restaurant until being taken over by Barclays Bank in the 1970s. It was later removed during an extensive renovation of the outer building culminating in the 'grand opening' of a Metro Bank on Friday 21st November 2014.

The first tenants move into properties on Phase 1A/3A of the Lee Chapel North housing development. The development corporation properties, comprising flats and two, three and four bedroomed houses, are at Hempstalls, Wickhay, Cressells, Panadown, Delimands, Long Lynderswood, 2-14 Little Lullaway and the eastern end of Great Knightleys, which with Ballards Walk would become the primary spine roads for the whole estate. The remainder of the estate, which included a small experimental development of Siporex properties known as Phase 4B, was completed by 1964. The area prior to development was largely populated with sub standard properties built on plots sold off in the 1920s and 1930s. Work on clearing the estate of these properties was largely completed by the late 1950s with the exception of around 11 bungalows, some of which like the Samaritans headquarters, remain today.

J.H. Rawley plant hire business established. The Laindon based family run business, specialising in hiring out mechanical and electrical plant, scaffolding and tools to the building trade, was founded by Jim Rawley and his son Colin and initially run from their builders yard at 77-81 Pound Lane. Jim Rawley was already well known locally as a builder and contractor and from 13/02/1963 the business was incorporated as J.H. Rawley (Plant Hire) Ltd. and later in 1968 were one of the first businesses to move into brand new premises on the then under construction Laindon Industrial Estate at Durham Road. Two shops were also later opened, using the Hireco name, at 133A Nevendon Road, Wickford and 74 High Road, Laindon, which would survive until around 1986. Their plant was a regular sight around the towns' building sites during the construction of the many housing projects then being undertaken by contractors on behalf of Basildon Development Corporation. The company is now known as Rawley Group Ltd, having had a change of direction in the early 2000s, and now concentrates on Site Accommodation and Event Toilet Hire. In 2004 they moved to again, though still within Basildon, to Rawley House, Harvey Road on the Burnt Mills industrial area.

Riverside Farm at Vange is destroyed by fire. The farm stood off Wharf Lane on the south side of the London, Tilbury & Southend Railway's Tilbury route. It had recently been purchased by Basildon Development Corporation who had plans to convert it for recreational use. The farmhouse was said to be 16th century and previously known as Merricks Farm. Vange swimming pool, which was closed in the early 1950s, stood within its grounds, part of which bordered Vange Creek. Following the arrival of the railway in 1855 access was from an unmanned level crossing, which during the life of the swimming pool claimed the life of one of its users. The site was later sold to a timber company called Churchill Johnson which had its business adjacent to the farm at Vange Wharf.

Lee Chapel County Infant and Junior School in The Knares, Lee Chapel South, opened. Miss Sylvia Lowing is appointed Headmistress of the infant school and remains in charge until April 1981. Mr W.H. Bell is appointed Headmaster of the junior school. In 1981 the two schools merged to become Lee Chapel Primary which it remains today. Part of the original school building is now occupied by the South West Area Education Office.

Broadmayne A1321, Basildon to the outskirts of Pitsea feeder road completed. The road, known as Road 2 on the development corporation's 'Master Plan' for Basildon, had been constructed in two phases. Phase I was completed as a single carriageway in the 1950s between the Southernhay/Ghyllgrove junction and the East Mayne roundabout, and this phase, which was duel carriage throughout, connected to Roundacre roundabout to complete the project.

Fairhouse County Junior School in Long Riding, Barstable opened. Miss P.M.B. Green is the first appointed Headmistress. The school was later known as Fairhouse Community Infant & Junior School until September 2016 when the two schools amalgamated to became Fairhouse Primary.

The Staneway railway overbridge linking Laindon Link with Lee Chapel South opened to traffic. Work began on the bridge, officially designated 83A over the British Railways run Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness rail route, began in September 1959 and is the first new one to cross the line since the new towns inception. It is built from reinforced concrete to a special design with electric heating to reduce the effects of winter and other considerations given the ongoing electrification work being undertaken at the time. Its underside has the date 1961 inscribed into the concrete. An unmanned occupation crossing at Green Lane had its 'right of way' extinguished around this time. Work on Phase II of the continuation of Staneway (Road 35) beyond The Knares junction to provide a direct feeder link to the High Road at Langdon Hills was completed in 1966. From the 1990s the bridge crossing became the starting point for a new road called Mandeville Way.

Mopsies Park Recreation Ground at Hockley Road, Barstable completed. The park, which covers around 11 acres, is owned and maintained by Basildon District Council having been transferred by the development corporation around 1958 when it was just field. It was laid out in two phases. The first, which included recreation facilities and children's play equipment, was completed the previous year while the remainder of the land, comprising playing field, was levelled and seeded in preparation for use this year.

2nd February

F.W. Woolworth & Co Ltd. open a shop at 23 Town Square, Basildon. Prior to opening, from 1958 the chain store, later branded as Woolworths, offered its goods in a self-service mobile shop adapted from a London County single dekker bus, painted red and often parked in Market Square. In the 1970s a stairway at the rear of the shop was built to link the store with the new multi-storey car park. In 2008 with the country in recession Woolworths went into administration and the store closed for business on Saturday 27th December, 2008. The shop was then divided into two units with Poundland relocating from 50-52 Town Square into the larger of the two in 2009.

25th March

The Mecca Ltd. run Locarno Ballroom in Blenheim House, Market Pavement, Basildon opens. With a standing capacity of around 850 the venue quickly establishes itself on the live entertainment circuit with bands like The Who, Hermans Hermits, The Kinks, Manfred Mann, The Move and the Dave Clark Five, who had a weekly Sunday residence for much of 1963, all playing there. From 1970 the nightclub was renamed Tiffany's through to April 1974 when it re-opened as Raquels where in 1981 Basildon's own Depeche Mode made two appearances. It closed as Club Uropa in January 1998.

30th March

Ghyllgrove neighbourhood sub-centre completed. The small sub-centre at Butneys comprising two shops with upper flat accommodation were built by the development corporation to serve the Ghyllgrove I, II and III housing developments, currently ongoing. Shead's newsagent and confectioner and Rowe's grocery store are the first traders to open in numbers 1 and 3 respectively.

April

Basildon bus station in Cherrydown (now Cherrydown East) is formally opened. The old depot at 18 Bull Road, Vange was then demolished to make way for the new neighbourhood shopping centre redevelopment.

18th April

The 12:25 pm Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness rail service was derailed between Laindon and Pitsea resulting in two fatalities and injuries to forty six others. The eleven coach train carrying around 150 passengers and hauled by a Class 'B' steam tank locomotive was travelling on the Up line in the Down direction when it derailed about 1000 yards from Pitsea station. The locomotive, No. 80075, was left on its side and four of the eleven carriages also left the track during the accident, which occurred at 1:34 pm during a period of single line operation necessitated by ongoing engineering work to convert the line to overhead electrification.

23rd April

Population Census for Basildon district; 48,047.

25th May

Mrs Christina Gadsdon, J.P., becomes the first elected woman to serve as Chairman of Basildon Urban District Council. Mrs Gadsdon, who moved to Wickford in 1937, became a conservative councillor in 1955 representing the No.2 Ramsden/Wickford Ward. She had served as Vice-Chairman for the previous two years and replaces former conservative councillor W.H. Davies, who lost his seat during the previous local elections held on May 13th. Of the votes cast she received 18, 11 more than challenger and labour leader, Cllr. Alf Dove.

3rd August

A temporary Police Station was opened on land adjacent to the present building in Great Oaks. The Beat House at Arterial Road, Nevendon which had operated was closed and amalgamated with the Basildon section here. Later, on 26th March 1963, Pitsea's administrative staff would transfer here during construction of the new headquarters.

19th September

The first traffic lights in Basildon become operational at the Broadmayne junction with Southernhay and Ghyllgrove. For the early years of Broadmayne's existence the road terminated at a T-junction which was then extended and duelled to join Roundacre roundabout. The lights were installed at the completion of the extension, which also included a pedestrian subway to the Ghyllgrove neighbourhood and a short length of road that merged with the existing single carriageway in the direction of Pitsea. The lights remain in operation to this day.

October

Langdon Hills Army Camp regiment to leave. The regiment, 7th A.G.R.A. (A.A.) (Anti Aircraft) (Army Group Royal Artillery), were formed in November 1955 and had been established at Langdon Hills for about four years but were moving to new headquarters at B.A.O.R. (British Army of the Rhine) barracks in Gütersloh, Germany. The Anti Aircraft unit were also redesignated 7th Artillery Brigade (A.A.) on 4th October as part of the move. Brigade Major A.G.I. Wells thought it likely another unit would move to the Old Church Hill camp, which was established in the early 1940s during the Second World War.

1st October

The Commission for the New Towns (CNT) established under provisions in Part II of the New Towns Act, 1959. The commission was created as a successor to the new town development corporations and undertook all responsibilities for the management of housing stock and other assets, including disposal. They were wound up in May 1999 following a merge with the corporate functions of the Urban Regeneration Agency, out of which saw the creation of English Partnerships.

6th November

Following British Railways electrification of the London, Tilbury & Southend railway line, the first electric trains (class 302) begin running on off peak services. These new trains operating on a 25k V ac overhead power system would very soon replace all steam powered services; signalling the end of over 100 years of steam services on this line.

7th November

The new Bull public house in Bull Road (now Clay Hill Road), Basildon opened. Arthur and Teresa Goldstone are the first licencees having previously lived in the 'old' Bull just yards away. It was built on behalf of brewers Mann, Crossman and Paulin who positioned a large 'Manns' sign on an outer wall. The new Bull has two bars and an off licence. Live entertainment on the saloon bar's stage was a regular feature for many years. It remained open until 1998 by which time it had been renamed The Powerhouse. After remaining empty for a number of years the building and adjoining car park, (believed to be subject to a covenant), was fenced off and demolished throughout August/September 2002 and replaced with a residential development of flats.

1st December

Homes for Today and Tomorrow a report of a Sub-committee of the Central Housing Advisory Committee published. The report, which set out minimum living space requirements for new build homes, would lead to the Parker Morris standards, later implemented by Basildon Development Corporation in 1967 and all local authorities from 1969.