A Rising ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: How Affluence and Deprivation Now Sit Side by Side in Across England.
In Nunsthorpe, residents occupy homes only several yards from their wealthier counterparts in nearby Scartho. A 1.8-metre-high wall literally divides the two communities in the town of Grimsby, sealing off roads and walkways that once linked them.
“This is the divide between rich and poor,” said a resident, 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 associate with us.”
An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country
Data from official statistics reveals how deep disparity often exists, at times across little more than a short distance of asphalt, a hedge row or a wall. Decades of austerity and lack of funding mean almost two-thirds of local authorities now have a locality classified as one of the poorest in the country.
This geographical widening of poverty has led to a sharp rise in the number of locations where deprived and well-off people end up living side by side. In 2019, just 65 of the most deprived areas adjoined one of the wealthiest. That figure rose to 119 in the latest data.
A Wall That Does More Than Separate Land
At this Lincolnshire site, the divide is the biggest in the country and starkly obvious. The wall is much more than a metaphorical division; it causes tangible difficulties for daily routines.
- School runs that ought to take 15-20 minutes turn into an sixty-minute journey.
- Reaching important services like supermarkets, schools and care homes is made more difficult.
- The site often sees vandalism and loitering, with reports of rubbish being thrown over the wall and related issues.
“People strive to maintain a nice house and nice garden, and then you live opposite that,” said one local, motioning at the corroded metal wall.
Local Bonds Amidst Challenges
Within Centre4, workers emphasise that support does not recognise postcodes. “Where you live doesn’t necessarily indicate your personal struggles,” explained chief executive a community leader.
Despite ranking in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe boasts a fierce loyalty and feeling of togetherness among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area is classified among the least deprived 10% overall.
Echoes Elsewhere: An Estate in Kent
This pattern is repeated nationally. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in the country. It is closely bordered by spacious detached homes built in the 2000s that sit in the wealthiest tenth for employment and quality of surroundings.
“They might have bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented Phil Hockley, 63. “You’ll probably find many people in the new builds never even talk to each other.”
The financial divide is evident: an average three-bedroom house costs about £275,000 on the estate, while across the divide comparable homes go for about £410,000.
Residents speak of a tangible feeling of neglect. “Our neighbourhood gets ignored,” stated resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “Over here our facilities have gradually disappeared, and most of the issues we face here are related to financial hardship.”
The rise in these ‘inequality borders’ paints a picture of an ever more divided society, where prosperity and need are often uncomfortably in close proximity.
