A Growing ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: The Way Prosperity and Hardship Are Found Side by Side in Across England.
In a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents live in homes only several yards from their more affluent neighbours in the adjacent Scartho village. A 1.8-metre-high barricade physically divides the two areas in the town of Grimsby, sealing off paths and streets that previously connected them.
“It’s the posh-poor divide,” remarked a resident, 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I doubt they’ll take it down because I suspect they’ll want to associate with us.”
A Stark National Picture
Data from official statistics reveals how deep inequality can run, sometimes over little more than a short distance of tarmac, a hedge row or a wall. Decades of budget cuts and lack of funding have led to a situation where a majority of councils now have a neighbourhood ranking as one of the most deprived in the nation.
This geographical widening of deprivation has led to a significant rise in the number of locations where disadvantaged and well-off residents find themselves as immediate neighbours. In 2019, only 65 of the most deprived neighbourhoods adjoined one of the wealthiest. That figure increased to 119 in the latest data.
A Barrier Which Divides More Than Land
In Grimsby, the divide is the most pronounced in the UK and starkly obvious. The barrier is much more than a metaphorical division; it creates tangible difficulties for everyday life.
- School runs that should take a quarter of an hour turn into an hour-long journey.
- Reaching key amenities like grocery stores, educational facilities and care homes is made more difficult.
- The area can attract vandalism and loitering, with reports of rubbish being dumped over the wall and related problems.
“You try to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you live opposite that,” noted one resident, motioning at the rusted barricade.
Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Challenges
Within a local community centre, workers stress that need does not recognise postcodes. “Where you live doesn’t necessarily indicate your level of challenge,” explained chief executive Tracey Good.
Despite ranking in the lowest 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe boasts a fierce loyalty and feeling of community among its residents. Meanwhile, Scartho ranks among the most prosperous 10% overall.
A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent
This phenomenon is repeated nationally. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in the country. It is immediately adjacent by large detached homes built in the 2000s that sit in the wealthiest tenth for employment and living environment.
“They might have bigger houses, but here there’s more community,” commented Phil Hockley, aged 63. “You’ll probably find many people in the new builds don’t even speak to each other.”
The economic divide is clear: an typical family home sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while on the other side equivalent homes go for about £410,000.
Locals describe a tangible sense of neglect. “This part of the community is neglected,” stated holistic health worker Susan. “Over here our facilities have slowly been taken away, and the majority of the community problems here are related to 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.
