A Rising ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: The Way Affluence and Hardship Are Found Side by Side in Across England.
In Nunsthorpe, inhabitants live in properties only several yards from their wealthier counterparts in nearby Scartho village. A six-foot-tall wall physically separates the two communities in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, sealing off roads and walkways that once linked them.
“This is the divide between rich and poor,” said Serenity Colley, aged 37. “It’s been like this since I’ve known. I doubt they’ll take it down because I don’t think they’ll want to mix with us.”
A Stark Pattern Across the Country
Data from government statistics shows how deep inequality often exists, at times over little more than a short distance of asphalt, a line of hedges or a barrier. Years of austerity and lack of funding have led to a situation where a majority of local authorities now have a locality ranking as one of the poorest in the country.
This spread of deprivation has coincided with a sharp rise in the number of places where disadvantaged and well-off residents end up living side by side. In 2019, just 65 of the poorest areas bordered one of the least deprived. This number increased to 119 in the latest data.
A Wall That Divides More Than Land
In Grimsby, the divide is the biggest in the country and starkly apparent. The wall is much more than a metaphorical division; it causes very real problems for everyday life.
- The school commute that ought to take a quarter of an hour turn into an hour-long detour.
- Reaching key services like grocery stores, educational facilities and care homes is made more difficult.
- The site can attract vandalism and loitering, with reports of rubbish being dumped over the wall and other problems.
“People strive to have a well-kept home and garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one resident, gesturing towards the corroded barricade.
Community Spirit Amidst Challenges
At a local community centre, staff stress that need transcends postcodes. “Where you live doesn’t necessarily indicate your level of challenge,” explained director a community leader.
Despite ranking in the lowest 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, the estate retains a strong sense and feeling of community among its residents. Meanwhile, Scartho is classified among the least deprived 10% nationally.
A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford
This phenomenon is repeated nationally. The Stanhope area in Kent, a 1960s housing development, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of neighbourhoods in England. It is closely bordered by spacious houses built in the 2000s that sit in the top 10% for job prospects and quality of surroundings.
“They might have larger properties, but here there’s more community,” commented Phil Hockley, 63. “It’s likely a lot of people in the new builds don’t even speak to each other.”
The financial gap is evident: an average family home sells for about £275,000 on the estate, while across the divide equivalent properties go for about £410,000.
Locals describe a palpable feeling of being overlooked. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” stated resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our amenities have slowly been taken away, and the majority of the issues we face here are related to poverty.”
The increase in these ‘inequality borders’ presents a portrait of an ever more divided society, where prosperity and need are often awkwardly in close proximity.