Basildon (pronounced /ˈbæzɪldən/) is a New Town located in south Essex, England at 51°34′34″N 0°29′19″E / 51.57611, 0.48861. It was designated as a New Town after World War II in 1948 to accommodate the London population overspill. Basildon was created from four small villages; Pitsea, Laindon, Basildon and Vange. The larger Basildon district was formed in 1974 by the Local Government Act of 1972, and includes two neighbouring towns Billericay and Wickford, as well as rural villages and smaller settlements set among the surrounding countryside.