A rural district in Lincolnshire stretching along the North Sea coast has been ranked the most challenging place in the UK to be born and to grow old. East Lindsey boasts a rich history, including being the birthplace of poet Alfred Lord Tennyson in the village of Somersby. It is best known for its long beaches, caravan parks, and popularity with holidaymakers. Yet behind the façade, it faces deep-rooted social and economic problems, according to a new report.
The findings shared by The Times come from the Better Lives Index, a study carried out by the International Longevity Centre (ILC) think tank, which assessed every local authority in the UK against nine measures of quality of life. These included life expectancy at birth, child poverty, pollution levels, housing costs, disposable income, avoidable deaths, economic activity among over-16s, life expectancy at 65, and the proportion of 50 to 64-year-olds not in work.
East Lindsey came last overall, with high rates of child poverty and avoidable deaths contributing to its poor score. Life expectancy is around 79 years, and only half of residents over 16 are economically active – far lower than the 70% recorded in the top-ranking district, Hart in Hampshire. The difference in avoidable mortality was particularly large: East Lindsey recorded 303 preventable deaths per 100,000 people, more than double Hart’s 131.
The district is home to Skegness, once a bustling seaside resort known for its pier and Butlin’s holiday camp. But like many coastal towns, it has struggled in recent years as cheap overseas travel lured visitors away, leaving shuttered shops, fewer tourists and an economy still reliant on seasonal trade.
One visitor wrote on Reddit: “Skegness is quite sad – everything is a bit broken (but you can tell it was lovely once upon a time). It’s a bit like Blackpool, but not quite as intense with the visible drug use/homelessness.
I’ve visited every seaside pier in Britain (and have now started working my way through model villages) so I’ve seen quite a few tired resorts. Skeggy was one of the saddest.”
The index also highlighted the other areas at the bottom of the table: Bolsover in Derbyshire came second-lowest, followed by Derry City and Strabane in Northern Ireland, Blaenau Gwent in south-east Wales, and Ashfield in Nottinghamshire.
By contrast, London’s leafy and affluent borough of Richmond upon Thames was among the best places to live, with residents enjoying an average life expectancy of 85 years – nine years longer than those in Blackpool, which has the shortest life expectancy nationally at 76.
The research also found large inequalities in income and later-life security. The wealthiest 20% of households had around £10,000 more disposable income than the poorest, and pensioner poverty varied widely – as many as 39% of over-65s in Tower Hamlets rely on pension credit, compared with just 4% in Hart.
Ben Franklin, deputy chief executive of the ILC, said: “The Better Lives Index shows how where you’re born, grow up and grow old shapes your life chances – from life expectancy at birth, child poverty, housing affordability, to job opportunities.
“Getting policy and support right in every place could deliver huge untapped potential and add billions of pounds to the economy.”