The Growing ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: The Way Prosperity and Deprivation Now Sit Cheek by Jowl in England.
Within a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents live in homes only a few metres from their more affluent counterparts in the adjacent Scartho. One six-foot-tall wall literally separates the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, sealing off roads and walkways that once linked them.
“This is the divide between rich and poor,” remarked Serenity Colley, aged 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll take it down because I suspect they’ll want to mix with us.”
A Stark National Picture
Analysis of official statistics shows how deep inequality often exists, at times over little more than a short distance of tarmac, a hedge row or a barrier. Years of budget cuts and underinvestment mean almost two-thirds of councils now contain a locality ranking as one of the poorest in the nation.
This spread of deprivation has led to a sharp rise in the quantity of locations where disadvantaged and well-off residents find themselves living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the most deprived areas bordered one of the wealthiest. That figure rose to 119 in the most recent data.
A Barrier Which Divides More Than Land
At this Lincolnshire site, the divide is the biggest in the country and starkly apparent. The wall is much more than a metaphorical divide; it creates tangible difficulties for daily routines.
- School runs that should take 15-20 minutes become an hour-long journey.
- Reaching key services like supermarkets, schools and care homes is hindered.
- The area can attract vandalism and loitering, with reports of litter being thrown over the wall and related issues.
“People strive to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one resident, motioning at the corroded barricade.
Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Challenges
At Centre4, staff emphasise that need transcends addresses. “Your postcode doesn’t necessarily indicate your personal struggles,” said chief executive a community leader.
Regardless of ranking in the most deprived 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, Nunsthorpe boasts a fierce loyalty and feeling of community among its inhabitants. By contrast, the neighbouring area is classified among the least deprived 10% overall.
A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford
This pattern is repeated across the country. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in England. It is closely bordered by large detached homes built in the early 2000s that are in the top 10% for employment and quality of surroundings.
“They might have larger properties, but here there’s more community,” said Phil Hockley, aged 63. “You’ll probably find a lot of people over there never even talk to each other.”
The financial divide is clear: an typical family home sells for about £275,000 on the estate, while across the divide comparable homes go for about £410,000.
Locals describe a tangible feeling of neglect. “Our neighbourhood gets ignored,” stated resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our facilities have slowly been taken away, and the majority of the issues we face here are related to financial hardship.”
The increase in these ‘inequality borders’ presents a portrait of an increasingly divided society, where prosperity and need are often uncomfortably close neighbours.
