The Westcliff estate in Scunthorpe is still shaking off the stigma of being the unfortunate setting for ‘Skint’ nearly ten years on.
But residents insist there’s more to this friendly neighbourhood than what was seen on TV.
The Channel 4 show followed unemployed people living on the Scunthorpe estate. It became a hit but was slammed as “poverty porn” which glamorised alcohol, drugs and living on the dole.
Since then, Westcliff has built a new precinct and the Arc community hub in a £9million regeneration. However, the area is dealing with the legacy of the show.
There’s been a lot of investment in recent years.
“It was that programme which gave Westcliff a bad reputation,” one man said, without having to name it. “It painted us in such a bad light.
“People still talk about it today, and see it the same way.
“It’s not a bad place, to be honest. It’s nice and quiet, which is why a lot of people came here.”
David Dunn also sees the area’s stigma as undeserved. He has enjoyed the three years that he has lived in the area.
“It’s just a normal place, not like you see on TV. You get good and bad spots everywhere you go, but there’s nothing particularly wrong here,” he said.
“You get the odd problem with people selling drugs, but it doesn’t really affect your day-to-day life. They leave you alone if you leave them alone.
“On the whole, it’s a pretty friendly place – there are a lot of good neighbours.”
There are positive signs of regeneration in areas, with desirable new properties sitting alongside older social housing. Police have also worked to close nuisance houses – some of which featured on Skint – which were magnets for criminal activity.
However, other residents are still fed up with the annoying antisocial behaviour that they have to put up with.
“Young lads on motorbikes and mopeds quite often tear past the house as though it’s a race track,” local resident Geoff Maw said. “Sometimes it goes on into the middle of the night.
“There’s also a lot of kids who seem to think that your front garden is a park. They cut through it or hang around until you get fed up and tell them to move on. It would be nice if we didn’t have to deal with that.”
A resident who lives near the high rise on Bridges Road said that it didn’t cause the problems it once did.
“You see police there occasionally dealing with drugs, but it’s a lot better than it used to be. You wouldn’t know it’s there most of the time,” he said.
Government funding has also gone towards crime-reduction programmes in recent years to make residents feel safer in the area. A £500,000 package was announced in 2020 to create video intercoms, better fencing, and safer storage areas for communal flats.
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The final in the latest series of road closures for works on the A1, as part of the Grantham Southern Relief Road project, has been temporarily postponed
A weekend northbound A1 closure was due to be in place between 8pm on Friday, May 20 and 6am on Monday, May 23.
However, Lincolnshire County Council said the closure has been temporarily postponed and once new dates have been confirmed they will be shared.
Works on phase three began in April this year, with the council anticipating that winter 2023 will be the completion date for the relief road.
This will be with the view to reduce congestion and carbon emissions, and provide opportunities for growth in the local economy.
The £102 million Grantham Southern Relief Road project has been led by Lincolnshire County Council, supported by South Kesteven District Council, Highways England, Greater Lincolnshire LEP, Network Rail, Homes England, the Department for Transport and local business contributions.
Safety improvements have been carried out at corner where numerous accidents have occurred in East Keal.
The council is looking into what else can be done to prevent motorists from coming off the road at Hall Corner, while police are looking into the possibility of fitting a speed camera.
A cement lorry recently overturned on the corner in February.
Lincolnshire County Council has found a slight dip in the road where Blacksmith Lane meets the A16 could be the reason why heavy vehicles travelling at excessive speed are tipping over.
It is considering whether to smooth out and realign the road, but says it is concious of the impact that closing the A16 would have on traffic and local businesses.
Several safety improvement measures have already been put in place, including ‘slow’ markings, enhanced bend warning signs and improved chevrons.
Problems have been found with the road surface on the corner. | Photo: Google Street View
Lincolnshire Police are assessing whether a speed camera on the corner would be beneficial, and will be taking speed readings in the coming weeks.
Larger barriers and longer safety fencing have been proposed by the public. However, the county council says that in order for it to be big enough to withstand the impact of overturned vehicles, the cost can’t be justified.
Either the local parish council or the country council could also explore whether to fund a reactive speed sign on the location.
Richard Davies, executive member for highways, said: “We are very thankful to the residents and members of the parish council who have given us their ideas and support in what can be done at Hall Corner. Local knowledge and personal feedback are cornerstones of what we do in terms of delivering the best solutions in the most informed way.
“There has already been much done at this bend to try and mitigate the issues faced and we now have more planned for this particular area that will go on to encourage all road users to drive accordingly in line with the road and conditions.
“I would like to thank everyone involved so far for their input. We will all work together to get the best resolution we can for Hall Corner.”
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