The Rising ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: How Affluence and Hardship Now Sit Side by Side in England.
Within Nunsthorpe, residents live in properties only a few metres from their wealthier neighbours in nearby Scartho village. A 1.8-metre-high wall physically separates the two communities in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, sealing off paths and streets that once connected them.
“It’s the divide between rich and poor,” said a resident, 37. “It’s been like this for as long as I’ve known. I doubt they’ll bring it down because I don’t think they’ll want to associate with us.”
A Stark Pattern Across the Country
Analysis of government figures reveals the extent of disparity often exists, sometimes across little more than a few metres of asphalt, a line of hedges or a barrier. Years of budget cuts and underinvestment have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of councils now contain a locality ranking as one of the most deprived in the country.
The spread of poverty has led to a sharp increase in the number of locations where deprived and well-off residents find themselves as immediate neighbours. 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 Space
In Grimsby, the divide is the most pronounced in the UK and painfully apparent. The wall is much more than a metaphorical division; it causes very real difficulties for everyday life.
- School runs that ought to take a quarter of an hour become an hour-long detour.
- Reaching important amenities like supermarkets, educational facilities and care homes is hindered.
- The site often sees vandalism and loitering, with instances of litter being dumped over the wall and other problems.
“People strive to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one local, motioning at the corroded metal wall.
Local Bonds Amidst Challenges
At Centre4, staff stress that support transcends addresses. “Where you live doesn’t necessarily indicate your level of challenge,” said director a community leader.
Regardless of being placed in the most deprived 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, the estate retains a strong sense and sense of togetherness among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area is classified among the least deprived 10% overall.
A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford
This phenomenon is mirrored nationally. 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 houses built in the early 2000s that are in the wealthiest tenth for job prospects and living environment.
“They might have bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” said Phil Hockley, 63. “It’s likely a lot of people in the new builds never even talk to each other.”
The economic gap is evident: an average three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the estate, while across the divide comparable homes fetch about £410,000.
Residents speak of a palpable feeling of neglect. “This part of the community gets ignored,” said holistic health worker Susan Riley-Nevers. “Over here our amenities have gradually disappeared, and most of the issues we face here are to do with financial hardship.”
The rise in these ‘inequality borders’ presents a portrait of an ever more segregated society, where prosperity and deprivation are often uncomfortably close neighbours.
