Kelting House in Southernhay, Basildon completed. Five-storey office development named after Arthur Kelting, former chairman of Basildon Development Corporation 1971-1979.

The first tenants begin occupying properties on the Laindon 9 housing development off Durham Road. The new development corporation housing estate comprising rented accommodation is a continuation of the Laindon 8 project begun in 1977. As with the Laindon 8 development, many of the residents were displaced tenants of the Laindon 1, 2, 3 (Siporex) estate which was undergoing extensive refurbishment. The estate, comprising Rowenhall, Paxfords and Blackmores, included a mixture of two, three and four bedroomed houses and ground/upper floor flats. It was completed by 1982.

18th March

SavaCentre, a joint enterprise between J. Sainsbury and British Home Stores, opens as part of phase one of the Eastgate indoor shopping centre. The new store, built along the hypermarket concept, was the third of its kind to open in the UK and offered 71,000 square feet of floor space, an upper floor restaurant with seating for 380, 36 checkouts and parking for 980 vehicles. The buildings elevated design concealed a below store car park with additional space bordering a realigned Southernhay. A petrol station, the fifth to open in the main town area, and tyre/exhaust centre completed the package. Many of the staff were transferred from the existing shop at 25 Town Square, opened as J. Sainsbury in 1960 and closed when Savacentre opened. In the 1990s a 500 space multi-storey car park was built on the site of the outside parking area. Unusually from the early years of opening the store was closed on Monday's.

31st May

The Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Wickhay, Lee Chapel North opened. The new 300 seat church and presbytery were built opposite St. Anne Line catholic school on a site acquired through the development corporation in the 1960s. In 1972 services transferred to Wickhay when a large multi-functional hall was completed which replaced the smaller Roundacre church hall in use from 1963. In September 2011 work to enlarge the church commenced which was completed in May 2012 and included a new altar, granite font and lectern. The consecration of the church and new permanent altar was performed by the Bishop of Brentwood, The Right Reverend Dr. Thomas McMahon on 30/10/2012.

20th June

Little Coopers Farmhouse, Takeley is designated a Grade II listed building. The farmhouse was later taken down and rebuilt in Wat Tyler Country Park, Pitsea. It is now known as Little Coopers Cottage.

August

Eastgate Indoor Shopping Centre in Basildon town centre opened. The new complex, work on which commenced in September 1978, comprised of 13 shop units, a five storey office block called Kelting House and the already opened SavaCentre, was the completion of the first of a proposed two phase indoor shopping development. Five additional shops, formerly in Nether Priors, were also incorporated into the project. Mothercare, Kelleys, Evans, Harris Furnishing, Thomas Cook and Charsley were some of the first to trade in the new shops.

1st August

St. Mary the Virgin church in Church Road, Dunton formally becomes redundant. The remote church, which once served the former parish of Dunton and had closed to services in the 1970s, is now a private residence.

8th August

The Housing Act 1980 receives Royal Assent. This Act introduced the Right to Buy for council tenants wishing to own their home. It began as a manifesto commitment made by the Conservative Party for the 1979 general election, which saw the party form the next government. The Bill's progression through parliament was opposed by the Labour Party. It came into force on Friday, 3rd October, 1980.