A Growing ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: The Way Prosperity and Deprivation Now Sit Cheek by Jowl in Across England.
Within Nunsthorpe, residents live in homes just several yards from their wealthier neighbours in nearby Scartho village. One six-foot-tall wall literally separates the two areas in the town of Grimsby, blocking off roads and walkways that previously linked them.
“It’s the divide between rich and poor,” said Serenity Colley, 37. “It has been there for as long as I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll bring it down because I don’t think they’ll want to associate with us.”
An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country
Data from government figures reveals the extent of inequality often exists, at times over nothing more than a few metres of asphalt, a line of hedges or a barrier. Years of austerity and underinvestment have led to a situation where a majority of local authorities now contain a locality classified as one of the most deprived in the nation.
The geographical widening of deprivation has led to a sharp increase in the number of places where disadvantaged and well-off people find themselves living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the poorest areas adjoined one of the least deprived. This number increased to 119 in the latest data.
A Barrier Which Divides More Than Space
In Grimsby, the divide is the biggest in the UK and starkly apparent. The wall transcends being just a metaphorical division; it creates tangible problems for daily routines.
- The school commute that ought to take a quarter of an hour become an hour-long journey.
- Reaching important services like supermarkets, schools and employment centres is hindered.
- The site often sees antisocial behaviour, with instances of litter being thrown over the wall and related issues.
“You try to have a well-kept home and garden, and then you live opposite that,” noted one resident, motioning at the corroded barricade.
Community Spirit Amidst Challenges
At Centre4, workers emphasise that need does not recognise addresses. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your personal struggles,” said director Tracey Good.
Despite ranking in the lowest 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, Nunsthorpe retains a strong sense and sense of togetherness among its inhabitants. By contrast, the neighbouring area is classified among the most prosperous 10% nationally.
Echoes Elsewhere: An Estate in Kent
This pattern is repeated nationally. The Stanhope area in Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of neighbourhoods in England. It is closely bordered by large houses built in the early 2000s that are in the top 10% for employment and quality of surroundings.
“They might have larger properties, but here there’s more community,” said Phil Hockley, 63. “It’s likely a lot of people over there never even talk to each other.”
The economic gap is clear: an average family home sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while on the other side equivalent homes go for about £410,000.
Residents speak of a palpable feeling of neglect. “Our neighbourhood gets ignored,” stated resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “Over here our facilities have gradually disappeared, and the majority of the issues we face here are related to poverty.”
The rise in these ‘inequality borders’ paints a picture of an ever more divided England, where wealth and deprivation are often uncomfortably in close proximity.
