The Rising ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: The Way Prosperity and Hardship Are Found Cheek by Jowl in England.
In Nunsthorpe, residents occupy homes only a few metres from their more affluent neighbours in nearby Scartho village. One six-foot-tall barricade literally divides the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, blocking off paths and streets that previously linked them.
“It’s the posh-poor divide,” said a resident, 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I doubt they’ll bring it down because I suspect they’ll want to associate with us.”
An Increasingly Common National Picture
Analysis of government figures reveals how deep disparity can run, at times over little more than a short distance of asphalt, a line of hedges or a wall. Years of austerity and underinvestment have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of councils now have a locality ranking as one of the most deprived in the country.
This spread of poverty has coincided with a significant rise in the number of locations where disadvantaged and well-off people find themselves living side by side. In 2019, just 65 of the most deprived areas adjoined one of the least deprived. That figure increased to 119 in the latest data.
A Barrier Which Divides More Than Space
At this Lincolnshire site, the divide is the most pronounced in the UK and painfully apparent. The wall is much more than a metaphorical division; it causes tangible difficulties for daily routines.
- The school commute that should take 15-20 minutes turn into an hour-long detour.
- Access to important amenities like grocery stores, educational facilities and employment centres is made more difficult.
- The site can attract antisocial behaviour, with instances of litter being dumped over the wall and other problems.
“You try to maintain a nice house and nice garden, and then you live opposite that,” noted one local, gesturing towards the rusted barricade.
Community Spirit Amidst Hardship
Within Centre4, staff emphasise that need transcends addresses. “Where you live doesn’t necessarily indicate your personal struggles,” explained chief executive Tracey Good.
Despite being placed in the most deprived 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, the estate retains a strong sense and sense of togetherness among its residents. By contrast, Scartho ranks among the least deprived 10% nationally.
A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford
This phenomenon is repeated nationally. The Stanhope area in Kent, a mid-century housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in the country. It is closely bordered by spacious detached homes built in the 2000s that sit in the wealthiest tenth for employment and living environment.
“They might have larger properties, but here there’s more community,” said a long-term resident, aged 63. “It’s likely many people over there don’t even speak to each other.”
The financial gap is evident: an typical three-bedroom house costs about £275,000 on the estate, while on the other side comparable homes go for about £410,000.
Residents speak of a tangible feeling of neglect. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” said holistic health worker Susan. “In this area our amenities have slowly been taken away, and most of the community problems here are to do with poverty.”
The increase in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a portrait of an ever more segregated society, where wealth and deprivation are frequently awkwardly in close proximity.
