Basildon was created as a new town in 1949 from the merger of several smaller towns, and expanded to accommodate overspill population from London. Basildon railway station was opened in 1974 and the town is now part of the London commuter belt.

Basildon's main industries include chemicals, clothing, printing, and automotive engineering

Basildon is considered to be a barometer of public opinion and has returned General Election results in line with the nation since the 1950s.

This page was last updated: 12 September 2005

Town history extracts are taken from Wikipedia and are licensed under GFDL