A Growing ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: The Way Prosperity and Hardship Are Found Side by Side in Across England.
Within Nunsthorpe, residents live in properties just a few metres from their more affluent neighbours in the adjacent Scartho village. One 1.8-metre-high barricade literally separates the two areas in the town of Grimsby, blocking off roads and walkways that previously linked them.
“This is the posh-poor divide,” remarked Serenity Colley, 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll take it down because I suspect they’ll want to associate with us.”
An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country
Analysis of government figures reveals the extent of inequality often exists, at times across nothing more than a short distance of asphalt, a hedge row or a barrier. Decades of budget cuts and lack of funding mean almost two-thirds of local authorities now contain a locality classified as one of the most deprived in the nation.
The spread of deprivation has coincided with a significant rise in the number of places where deprived and well-off people end up living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the poorest areas adjoined one of the wealthiest. This number rose to 119 in the most recent data.
A Wall That Does More Than Separate Space
At this Lincolnshire site, the gap is the biggest in the country and starkly apparent. The barrier is much more than a symbolic division; it causes tangible problems for daily routines.
- The school commute that should take 15-20 minutes become an sixty-minute detour.
- Reaching key amenities like supermarkets, educational facilities and care homes is made more difficult.
- The site can attract antisocial behaviour, with instances of rubbish being thrown over the wall and related issues.
“People strive to maintain a well-kept home and garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one resident, motioning at the corroded barricade.
Local Bonds Amidst Challenges
At a local community centre, staff stress that need transcends addresses. “Your postcode doesn’t necessarily indicate your level of challenge,” said chief executive Tracey Good.
Despite being placed in the lowest 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe retains a strong sense and sense of community among its inhabitants. By contrast, the neighbouring area is classified among the least deprived 10% nationally.
A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford
This pattern is repeated nationally. The Stanhope estate in Kent, a 1960s housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in England. It is closely bordered by large houses built in the 2000s that sit in the top 10% for job prospects and living environment.
“They might have larger properties, but here there’s a stronger community,” said a long-term resident, 63. “You’ll probably find many people in the new builds don’t even speak to each other.”
The economic gap is evident: an average family home sells for about £275,000 on the estate, while on the other side equivalent homes fetch about £410,000.
Locals describe a tangible feeling of being overlooked. “This part of the community is neglected,” said resident Susan. “Over here our amenities have slowly been taken away, and most of the issues we face here are related to poverty.”
The increase in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a picture of an increasingly divided society, where wealth and need are frequently uncomfortably in close proximity.
