This area on higher ground was the historic core of Wickford, the site of the manor house and the parish church of St Catherine's.

Over time, the commercial centre of Wickford has migrated westwards towards the modern High Street on the other side of the River Crouch.

[5] The first town councillors took office following an uncontested election in May 2022, and the council held its first meeting on 16 May 2022 at the Wick Community Centre.

Wickford became the birthplace of Naturism in the United Kingdom; in 1924, the English Gymnosophist Society was formed and had its home in the town.

[citation needed] In 1958, Wickford town centre was hit by a flood which made national news headlines.

The most striking image of the flood was a double-decker bus, left stranded at Halls Corner overnight, partly submerged by the floodwater.

The Wick Country Park comprises 50 acres (20 ha) of former agricultural land, with over 2 km (1 1/4 miles) of easy access trails around the site.

Promoting the station entrances on both sides of the railway line as key gateways to Wickford are also key areas of the plan, which would enhance transport interchange facilities and bring forward the car park site on Station Road for development as a new multi-storey car park and mixed-use development.

Overall 650 apartments are planned to be built as part of the Masterplan as officially stated by councillor Tony Ball,[18] although other sources opposed to the project claim this figure is closer to 735.

There have also been criticism over the number of developments being constructed, which some say threaten to overdevelop and cause environmental and aesthetic damage to the town centre whilst providing minimal improvements to public services; one such group is the Wickford Action Group who has campaigned against many of the revisions made prior to the public approval of the plan.

[20][21] Construction began in earnest in February 2007, which saw the demolition of many of the buildings in Lower Southend Road to make way for a new residential area.

As of April 2010, the whole of the Masterplan project is facing serious delays and construction has halted due to the global financial crisis.

[23] Plans to build a prison capable of accommodating up to 1,500 inmates on land formerly of the Runwell Hospital mental institute were scrapped.