The Leader of Basildon Council

Councillor Gavin Callaghan will post regular updates here about the progress the council is making to transform Basildon borough.

Latest Leader's update - Our ambition to ensure Council operations are carbon neutral by 2030 - 11 March 2021
Leader's update - Basildon Council Budget 2021 announced - 25 February 2021
Leaders Update - Wishing Councillor Andrew Baggott a speedy recovery - 4 February 2021
Leader's update - Leader to recommend that council tax be frozen for second consecutive year -19 January 2021
Leader's update - A sincere tribute to "warm, funny and good natured" Councillor Imelda Clancy - 07 January 2021

See the Leader's earlier updates...>>
Find out more about Councillor Gavin Callaghan

Basildon Budget - Investing in our Borough in 2021 - Ambitious plans for the future

To find out more see: Leader's update - Basildon Council Budget 2021 announced - 25 February 2021

About the Leader

Councillor Callaghan has served Pitsea North West as its ward councillor since May 2012. In 2017 he became the youngest leader of a local authority in the UK. As head of a hung council with no party in overall control, Councillor Callaghan:

• restructured the council from the top to save more than £4million - the most ever saved in one year.
• signed a Memorandum of Understanding councils forming the Association of South Essex Local Authorities to speak up for the region, fight for the investment needed to support growing communities and coordinate planning work.
• set up the Breakthrough Basildon Borough Commission to tackle inequality following a report that outlined Basildon as the 5th most unequal borough in the UK.

Returning as Council Leader in May 2019 he has identified priorities to revitalise the borough's town centres, clean up neighbourhoods and protect open spaces and modernise the council's governance making it fit to manage inclusive growth of the borough in to the future.

As Council Leader, Councillor Callaghan chairs its Policy and Resources Committee. He also chairs the council's Town Centre Revival Committee.

Gavin is a Director of a public affairs company and previously worked as a political adviser, a lobbyist for national charities and a parliamentary speech writer.

Gavin has a degree in politics from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and attended Campion School in Hornchurch.

Further information and enquiries

For further information see Councillor details - Councillor Callaghan