🔗 Share this article A Rising ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: The Way Prosperity and Deprivation Are Found Cheek by Jowl in England. In Nunsthorpe, inhabitants live in homes only several yards from their more affluent neighbours in the adjacent Scartho village. One 1.8-metre-high wall literally separates the two communities in the town of Grimsby, sealing off paths and streets that previously linked them. “This is the posh-poor divide,” said a resident, 37. “It’s been like this since I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll bring it down because I don’t think they’ll want to mix with us.” A Stark National Picture Data from government figures shows how deep disparity often exists, sometimes across little more than a few metres of tarmac, a line of hedges or a barrier. Decades of austerity and underinvestment have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of local authorities now have a neighbourhood ranking as one of the most deprived in the country. This spread of deprivation has led to a sharp increase in the number of locations where deprived and well-off people find themselves as immediate neighbours. In 2019, just 65 of the most deprived areas adjoined one of the least deprived. This number increased to 119 in the latest data. A Wall That Does More Than Separate Space In Grimsby, the gap is the most pronounced in the country and starkly obvious. The wall is much more than a symbolic divide; it creates tangible difficulties for everyday life. The school commute that should take 15-20 minutes turn into an sixty-minute journey. Reaching important amenities like supermarkets, educational facilities and care homes is hindered. The area often sees vandalism and loitering, with instances of rubbish being dumped over the wall and related issues. “You try to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one resident, gesturing towards the corroded metal wall. Community Spirit Amidst Hardship Within Centre4, staff stress that support transcends postcodes. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” explained chief executive Tracey Good. Regardless of being placed in the most deprived 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, Nunsthorpe boasts a fierce loyalty and feeling of togetherness among its inhabitants. By contrast, Scartho ranks among the most prosperous 10% nationally. Echoes Elsewhere: An Estate in Kent This phenomenon is mirrored nationally. The Stanhope area in Kent, a mid-century overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in the country. It is immediately adjacent by large houses built in the early 2000s that are in the top 10% for job prospects and quality of surroundings. “They may possess larger properties, but here there’s more community,” said a long-term resident, aged 63. “You’ll probably find a lot of people in the new builds don’t even speak to each other.” The economic gap is evident: an average three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the estate, while across the divide comparable homes go for about £410,000. Locals speak of a palpable feeling of being overlooked. “This part of the community gets ignored,” said resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our facilities have gradually disappeared, and the majority of the issues we face here are to do with poverty.” The increase in these ‘inequality borders’ presents a picture of an ever more divided society, where wealth and deprivation are often awkwardly close neighbours.
In Nunsthorpe, inhabitants live in homes only several yards from their more affluent neighbours in the adjacent Scartho village. One 1.8-metre-high wall literally separates the two communities in the town of Grimsby, sealing off paths and streets that previously linked them. “This is the posh-poor divide,” said a resident, 37. “It’s been like this since I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll bring it down because I don’t think they’ll want to mix with us.” A Stark National Picture Data from government figures shows how deep disparity often exists, sometimes across little more than a few metres of tarmac, a line of hedges or a barrier. Decades of austerity and underinvestment have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of local authorities now have a neighbourhood ranking as one of the most deprived in the country. This spread of deprivation has led to a sharp increase in the number of locations where deprived and well-off people find themselves as immediate neighbours. In 2019, just 65 of the most deprived areas adjoined one of the least deprived. This number increased to 119 in the latest data. A Wall That Does More Than Separate Space In Grimsby, the gap is the most pronounced in the country and starkly obvious. The wall is much more than a symbolic divide; it creates tangible difficulties for everyday life. The school commute that should take 15-20 minutes turn into an sixty-minute journey. Reaching important amenities like supermarkets, educational facilities and care homes is hindered. The area often sees vandalism and loitering, with instances of rubbish being dumped over the wall and related issues. “You try to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one resident, gesturing towards the corroded metal wall. Community Spirit Amidst Hardship Within Centre4, staff stress that support transcends postcodes. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” explained chief executive Tracey Good. Regardless of being placed in the most deprived 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, Nunsthorpe boasts a fierce loyalty and feeling of togetherness among its inhabitants. By contrast, Scartho ranks among the most prosperous 10% nationally. Echoes Elsewhere: An Estate in Kent This phenomenon is mirrored nationally. The Stanhope area in Kent, a mid-century overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in the country. It is immediately adjacent by large houses built in the early 2000s that are in the top 10% for job prospects and quality of surroundings. “They may possess larger properties, but here there’s more community,” said a long-term resident, aged 63. “You’ll probably find a lot of people in the new builds don’t even speak to each other.” The economic gap is evident: an average three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the estate, while across the divide comparable homes go for about £410,000. Locals speak of a palpable feeling of being overlooked. “This part of the community gets ignored,” said resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our facilities have gradually disappeared, and the majority of the issues we face here are to do with poverty.” The increase in these ‘inequality borders’ presents a picture of an ever more divided society, where wealth and deprivation are often awkwardly close neighbours.