South West Essex
Future unitary authority area in England
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South West Essex will be a unitary authority area in Essex, England. Scheduled to be created in April 2028 as part of an ongoing local government reorganisation, it will be formed from the existing districts of Basildon and Thurrock. The first councillors to South West Essex Council will be elected at the 2027 South West Essex Council election in May 2027. The largest settlement in the district is Basildon.
South West Essex | |
|---|---|
Future unitary authority area | |
| |
 South West Essex shown within Essex | |
 Interactive map of South West Essex | |
| Coordinates: 51.551°N 0.460°E | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | England |
| Region | East |
| Ceremonial county | Essex |
| Incorporated | 1 April 2028 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Unitary authority |
| • Body | South West Essex Council |
| Area | |
• Total | 105.6 sq mi (273.4 km2) |
| Population (2024 estimate) | |
• Total | 374,621 |
| • Density | 3,549/sq mi (1,370/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
History
The idea of merging Basildon and Thurrock was considered in 2021.[1] In February 2025, Essex was accepted into the Devolution Priority Programme.[2] Tied to this, councils were invited to submit proposals for the reorganisation of local government districts by September 2025. The government held statutory consultations from November 2025 to January 2026 and made a decision in March 2026.[3] In South West Essex, it was decided to create a new unitary authority district by combining Basildon and Thurrock.[4][5]
In September 2026, the Essex proposals were withdrawn by the government in light of new government advice. [6]
Geography
The largest settlement in the district is the new town of Basildon. The Office for National Statistics mid-2023 population estimate of the district is 368,745.[7]
Parishes
Most of the district, including Basildon and the whole of the Thurrock area, is unparished. The rest of the area is made of civil parishes:[8]
Governance
The local authority will be South West Essex Council. The first councillors will be elected in the 2027 South West Essex Council election.[9][5]