A Rising ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: The Way Prosperity and Deprivation Now Sit Cheek by Jowl in England.
Within Nunsthorpe, inhabitants occupy properties just several yards from their more affluent neighbours in nearby Scartho. One six-foot-tall wall physically divides the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, blocking off roads and walkways that previously connected them.
“It’s the divide between rich and poor,” said Serenity Colley, 37. “It’s been like this for as long as I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll bring it down because I suspect they’ll want to mix with us.”
A Stark National Picture
Data from government figures shows how deep inequality can run, sometimes across nothing more than a few metres of asphalt, a hedge row or a wall. Decades of budget cuts and underinvestment mean a majority of councils now have a neighbourhood ranking as one of the most deprived in the nation.
The geographical widening of poverty has led to a sharp increase in the number of locations where disadvantaged and affluent residents end up as immediate neighbours. In 2019, just 65 of the poorest 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 gap is the biggest in the UK and starkly obvious. The barrier transcends being just a metaphorical division; it creates tangible difficulties for everyday life.
- The school commute that ought to take a quarter of an hour turn into an sixty-minute journey.
- Reaching important amenities like supermarkets, schools and care homes is hindered.
- The site can attract antisocial behaviour, with reports of litter being thrown over the wall and other issues.
“People strive to maintain a well-kept home and garden, and then you live opposite that,” noted one resident, motioning at the rusted metal wall.
Community Spirit Amidst Hardship
Within a local community centre, staff stress that support does not recognise addresses. “Where you live doesn’t necessarily indicate your personal struggles,” said director Tracey Good.
Regardless of being placed in the most deprived 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, Nunsthorpe boasts a fierce loyalty and sense of togetherness among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area ranks among the least deprived 10% nationally.
Echoes Elsewhere: An Estate in Kent
This phenomenon is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in England. It is closely bordered by spacious detached homes built in the early 2000s that are in the top 10% for job prospects and quality of surroundings.
“They might have larger properties, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented Phil Hockley, aged 63. “You’ll probably find a lot of people in the new builds don’t even speak to each other.”
The financial divide is evident: an average three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the estate, while on the other side comparable properties fetch about £410,000.
Locals speak of a tangible feeling of neglect. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” said resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “Over here our amenities have slowly been taken away, and the majority of the community problems here are related to financial hardship.”
The increase in these ‘inequality borders’ paints a picture of an ever more divided England, where wealth and deprivation are often awkwardly close neighbours.