AS 2016 MARKS the 70th anniversary of the creation of new towns, historians remind us the importance of remembering our history.

Basildon became a new town in about 1949, despite not being initially identified as a potential new town.

The new towns were planned under the powers of the New Towns Act 1946 and later acts to rehome people living in poor or bombed-out housing following the Second World War.

Vin Harrop, 79, Basildon Historian said that without history we are nothing.

He said: “A new town means new people and there were plenty of new people coming to Basildon after the Second World War as people moved to Basildon from East End London for a better life.

“In about 1951, people who were living in difficult situations were moving to Basildon and the Basildon Housing Corporation decided that it wanted people to work and so people were perused to find work in factories this was done as an incentive as people who found work were given a free home.”

Mr Harrop said that when people were moving to Basildon from East London, it was like a different life for these people and these people found it tough and worlds away from their London life.

He added: “These people found themselves in the countryside, because Basildon was like the country side, there were a few manor houses but not many.

“Families moving from East End London to Basildon also found that the rents and house prices were much higher thhan what they were paying in London.

“This was because in London many houses had different families in them and this meant that rents were cheaper for families as they could share the rent out with the other families living in the same houses.”

Mr Harrop has been working on the Basildon Heritage Trial which highlights and recognises buildings and sites of historical significance across Basildon since the 1969.

He visits schools across Basildon and encourages people to look into and explore the history of Basildon.

He added: “It is important to understand our history because without our history we have no present and we cannot understand present times.”

A special event is being held to mark the anniversary of the creation of the new towns.

The Recommission for New Towns event, in Stevenage, Hertfordshire on July 30, will mark the 70th anniversary of the 1946 New Towns Act.

Organiser Jonny Matfin, 34, said: “A lot has been written about the history of post-war new towns – but often the experiences of people who actually lived and live in them get ignored.

“We’re aiming to give as many new town residents as possible a chance to voice their own version of the past and present.”

Ken Porter, 72, Chairman of Basildon Heritage Group works to document the history of Basildon.

He said that Basildon was not one of the planned new towns under the New Towns Act 1946.

It was thanks the Billericay District Council in 1949 that Basildon became recognised as a new town.

Ken said: “The government decided that the people and businesses in Basildon needed to build up the infrastructure of the area to create a town instead of the government making Basildon an official new town.

“Billericay District Council was in talks with the government and proved that there was not enough money or business in the Basildon area to make a town and the government overturned its decision and then Basildon became a new town.”

For more information about the The Recommission for New Towns event visit www.recommissionfornewtowns.org