A Growing ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: How Prosperity and Deprivation Now Sit Cheek by Jowl in England.
Within Nunsthorpe, inhabitants occupy homes only several yards from their wealthier neighbours in nearby Scartho. A six-foot-tall barricade literally separates the two communities in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, blocking off roads and walkways that once linked them.
“It’s the posh-poor divide,” remarked Serenity Colley, 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll bring it down because I suspect they’ll want to associate with us.”
An Increasingly Common National Picture
Analysis of official figures reveals the extent of disparity often exists, sometimes across little more than a few metres of asphalt, a line of hedges or a wall. Years of austerity and lack of funding have led to a situation where a majority of councils now contain a locality classified as one of the poorest in the nation.
This geographical widening of poverty has led to a significant increase in the number of places where deprived and affluent people find themselves as immediate neighbours. Just a few years ago, only 65 of the most deprived areas adjoined one of the least deprived. That figure rose to 119 in the latest data.
A Barrier Which Divides More Than Space
At this Lincolnshire site, the gap is the biggest in the country and painfully apparent. The wall transcends being just a symbolic divide; it creates very real problems for daily routines.
- The school commute that ought to take 15-20 minutes become an sixty-minute journey.
- Access to key services like grocery stores, schools and care homes is hindered.
- The site often sees antisocial behaviour, with instances of litter being dumped over the wall and related issues.
“People strive to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one local, gesturing towards the rusted metal wall.
Community Spirit Against a Backdrop of Hardship
At a local community centre, staff emphasise that support transcends postcodes. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” explained director a community leader.
Despite being placed in the lowest 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, the estate boasts a fierce loyalty and feeling of community among its residents. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area is classified among the least deprived 10% overall.
A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent
This phenomenon is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope area in Kent, a mid-century housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in the country. It is immediately adjacent by large houses built in the early 2000s that are in the wealthiest tenth for employment and living environment.
“They might have larger properties, but here there’s more community,” said Phil Hockley, 63. “You’ll probably find a lot of people over there never even talk to each other.”
The economic divide is clear: an average three-bedroom house costs about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while on the other side equivalent homes fetch about £410,000.
Residents speak of a palpable feeling of being overlooked. “This part of the community is neglected,” said holistic health worker Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our facilities have gradually disappeared, and most of the issues we face here are to do with financial hardship.”
The increase in these ‘inequality borders’ paints a portrait of an ever more divided England, where wealth and deprivation are often uncomfortably in close proximity.