A Rising ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: How Affluence and Hardship Are Found Cheek by Jowl in Across England.
Within Nunsthorpe, residents live in properties just a few metres from their wealthier neighbours in the adjacent Scartho. A six-foot-tall wall literally divides the two communities in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, blocking off paths and streets that once connected them.
“It’s 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 bring it down because I don’t think they’ll want to mix with us.”
An Increasingly Common National Picture
Analysis of official statistics shows how deep disparity can run, at times over nothing more than a few metres of tarmac, a hedge row or a wall. Years of budget cuts and lack of funding mean almost two-thirds of local authorities now contain a neighbourhood classified as one of the most deprived in the country.
The geographical widening of deprivation has led to a sharp increase in the number of places where deprived and well-off people find themselves living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the poorest areas bordered one of the least deprived. This number increased to 119 in the most recent data.
A Wall That Divides More Than Space
At this Lincolnshire site, the divide is the biggest in the country and painfully obvious. The barrier transcends being just a metaphorical divide; it causes very real difficulties for daily routines.
- The school commute that ought to take 15-20 minutes become an hour-long detour.
- Access to important amenities like supermarkets, schools and employment centres is hindered.
- The site can attract vandalism and loitering, with instances of litter being thrown over the wall and related issues.
“You try to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you live opposite that,” said one resident, gesturing towards the rusted metal wall.
Local Bonds Amidst Challenges
Within Centre4, staff emphasise that need does not recognise postcodes. “Your postcode doesn’t necessarily indicate your level of challenge,” said director a community leader.
Despite ranking in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe boasts a strong sense and sense of togetherness among its residents. Meanwhile, Scartho ranks among the most prosperous 10% overall.
Echoes Elsewhere: An Estate in Kent
This phenomenon is repeated nationally. The Stanhope area in Kent, a mid-century overspill estate, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of neighbourhoods in the country. It is immediately adjacent by spacious houses built in the 2000s that sit in the top 10% for job prospects and living environment.
“They may possess bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” said Phil Hockley, 63. “It’s likely a lot of people over there don’t even speak to each other.”
The economic divide is evident: an average three-bedroom house costs about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide comparable homes go for about £410,000.
Residents speak of a tangible sense of being overlooked. “This part of the community is neglected,” said resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “Over here our facilities have slowly been taken away, and the majority of the issues we face here are to do with poverty.”
The rise in these ‘inequality borders’ presents a picture of an increasingly divided society, where wealth and deprivation are frequently uncomfortably in close proximity.
