Town Square, Basildon, Essex: view across the shopping precinct towards the west facade of Brooke House

NOTES: Basildon, created from the conglomeration of four small villages, namely Pitsea, Laindon, Basildon and Vange, was designated a new town in 1948, together with the other London orbital developments of Stevenage, Harlow, Hemel Hempstead and Bracknell. The development of the New Towns, built after World War II to ease overcrowding in London, was overseen by Lewis Silkin, 1st Baron Silkin (1888-1972), the Minister for Town and Country Planning from 1945 to 1950. The town centre is dominated by Brooke House, a 14 storey residential tower block designed by Sir Basil Spence and completed in 1962. It was given Grade II listed status in 1998.