A Growing ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: How Prosperity and Hardship Are Found Side by Side in Across England.
Within Nunsthorpe, inhabitants live in homes just several yards from their more affluent neighbours in the adjacent Scartho. A six-foot-tall wall physically divides the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, sealing off paths and streets that previously linked them.
“It’s the divide between rich and poor,” remarked Serenity Colley, 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll bring it down because I suspect they’ll want to associate with us.”
A Stark Pattern Across the Country
Data from official statistics reveals the extent of disparity often exists, at times over little more than a short distance of tarmac, a hedge row or a wall. Decades of austerity and underinvestment mean almost two-thirds of local authorities now have a neighbourhood ranking as one of the most deprived in the country.
This geographical widening of deprivation has coincided with a sharp increase in the quantity of places where deprived and affluent residents find themselves living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the most deprived neighbourhoods bordered one of the least deprived. This number rose to 119 in the most recent data.
A Wall That Does More Than Separate Land
In Grimsby, the divide is the biggest in the country and starkly obvious. The barrier is much more than a metaphorical division; it creates very real difficulties for daily routines.
- School runs that should take 15-20 minutes become an hour-long journey.
- Access to key amenities like grocery stores, schools and care homes is made more difficult.
- The site often sees antisocial behaviour, with instances of litter being thrown over the wall and related problems.
“People strive to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one local, gesturing towards the corroded metal wall.
Local Bonds Amidst Challenges
At a local community centre, staff stress that need transcends addresses. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” said director a community leader.
Despite being placed in the most deprived 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, Nunsthorpe retains a strong sense and feeling of togetherness among its inhabitants. By contrast, the neighbouring area ranks among the most prosperous 10% nationally.
A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford
This pattern is repeated across the country. The Stanhope estate in Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in the country. It is immediately adjacent by large houses built in the 2000s that sit in the wealthiest tenth for job prospects and living environment.
“They may possess bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” said Phil Hockley, aged 63. “You’ll probably find many people in the new builds never even talk to each other.”
The economic gap is clear: an average three-bedroom house costs about £275,000 on the estate, while on the other side equivalent properties fetch about £410,000.
Residents speak of a tangible feeling of being overlooked. “This part of the community is neglected,” said resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “Over here our facilities have gradually disappeared, and the majority of the community problems here are to do with financial hardship.”
The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ paints a picture of an increasingly divided society, where prosperity and need are often awkwardly close neighbours.
