The Rising ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: How Prosperity and Deprivation Are Found Cheek by Jowl in Across England.
In Nunsthorpe, inhabitants live in properties just a few metres from their more affluent counterparts in the adjacent Scartho. One six-foot-tall wall physically separates the two communities in the town of Grimsby, sealing off paths and streets that once linked them.
“This is the posh-poor divide,” 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 suspect they’ll want to associate with us.”
An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country
Data from official figures shows how deep disparity often exists, at times over nothing more than a short distance of asphalt, a line of hedges or a barrier. Decades of budget cuts and lack of funding have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of councils now have a locality classified as one of the poorest in the country.
The geographical widening of deprivation has led to a sharp rise in the number of locations where disadvantaged and affluent people find themselves as immediate neighbours. Just a few years ago, just 65 of the most deprived areas bordered one of the least deprived. This number rose to 119 in the latest data.
A Barrier Which Divides More Than Space
In Grimsby, the divide is the biggest in the UK and painfully obvious. The wall is much more than a metaphorical divide; it creates tangible problems for everyday life.
- School runs that ought to take 15-20 minutes become an sixty-minute journey.
- Reaching key services like grocery stores, educational facilities and care homes is hindered.
- The area can attract antisocial behaviour, with reports of rubbish being dumped over the wall and related problems.
“You try to have a well-kept home and garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one resident, motioning at the rusted barricade.
Local Bonds Amidst Challenges
At a local community centre, workers emphasise that need does not recognise postcodes. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your personal struggles,” explained director Tracey Good.
Despite ranking in the most deprived 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, the estate retains a fierce loyalty and sense of community among its residents. By contrast, Scartho is classified among the least deprived 10% nationally.
Echoes Elsewhere: Stanhope in Ashford
This pattern is repeated nationally. The Stanhope estate in Ashford, Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of areas in the country. It is immediately adjacent by large houses built in the 2000s that are in the top 10% for job prospects and living environment.
“They might have bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” said a long-term resident, 63. “You’ll probably find a lot of people over there don’t even speak to each other.”
The economic gap is evident: an typical family home costs about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide comparable homes go for about £410,000.
Locals describe a tangible feeling of neglect. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” stated holistic health worker Susan. “In this area our facilities have gradually disappeared, and the majority of the issues we face here are to do with financial hardship.”
The rise in these ‘inequality borders’ paints a picture of an ever more segregated society, where wealth and need are frequently uncomfortably in close proximity.
