A Growing ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: How Prosperity and Hardship Are Found Side by Side in Across England.
In Nunsthorpe, residents occupy properties just several yards from their wealthier neighbours in nearby Scartho. A 1.8-metre-high wall literally separates the two areas in the town of Grimsby, sealing off roads and walkways that previously linked 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.”
A Stark National Picture
Data from official figures shows how deep inequality often exists, at times across little more than a short distance of asphalt, a line of hedges or a barrier. Years of budget cuts and underinvestment mean almost two-thirds of councils now have a locality classified as one of the most deprived in the country.
This spread of deprivation has led to a sharp rise in the quantity of places where disadvantaged and affluent residents find themselves living side by side. In 2019, just 65 of the poorest areas bordered one of the wealthiest. This number increased to 119 in the most recent data.
A Wall That Divides More Than Land
In Grimsby, the divide is the most pronounced in the UK and painfully apparent. The barrier transcends being just a symbolic division; it causes tangible problems for daily routines.
- The school commute that should take 15-20 minutes become an sixty-minute detour.
- Access to important services like grocery stores, educational facilities and care homes is hindered.
- The site can attract vandalism and loitering, with instances of rubbish being thrown over the wall and other problems.
“You try to have a well-kept home and garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one local, motioning at the corroded metal wall.
Community Spirit Against a Backdrop of Hardship
Within a local community centre, workers stress that need does not recognise postcodes. “Your postcode doesn’t necessarily indicate your level of challenge,” explained chief executive Tracey Good.
Regardless of ranking in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe retains a strong sense and sense of community among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, Scartho is classified among the least deprived 10% overall.
A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent
This phenomenon is repeated nationally. The Stanhope estate in Kent, a mid-century overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in England. It is closely bordered by large detached homes built in the 2000s that sit in the wealthiest tenth for employment and living environment.
“They may possess larger properties, but here there’s more community,” commented Phil Hockley, 63. “You’ll probably find a lot of people over there never even talk to each other.”
The financial divide is evident: an average three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide equivalent properties go for about £410,000.
Locals speak of a tangible feeling of being overlooked. “This part of the community is neglected,” said holistic health worker Susan. “In this area our amenities have gradually disappeared, and the majority of the community problems here are to do with financial hardship.”
The increase in these ‘inequality borders’ presents a picture of an ever more divided England, where wealth and deprivation are often uncomfortably close neighbours.
