A Rising ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: How Prosperity and Hardship Are Found Side by Side in Across England.
Within a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents live in properties just a few metres from their wealthier counterparts in the adjacent Scartho. A six-foot-tall wall physically divides the two communities in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, sealing off paths and streets that previously linked them.
“It’s the posh-poor divide,” remarked Serenity Colley, 37. “It’s been like this for as long as 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 National Picture
Analysis of government statistics shows how deep inequality often exists, at times over little more than a few metres of tarmac, a hedge row or a wall. Years of austerity and underinvestment have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of local authorities now contain a neighbourhood ranking as one of the poorest in the nation.
The geographical widening of poverty has coincided with a sharp increase in the number of places where deprived and affluent residents find themselves living side by side. Just a few years ago, only 65 of the poorest areas adjoined one of the least deprived. This number increased to 119 in the most recent data.
A Barrier Which Divides More Than Space
At this Lincolnshire site, the gap is the biggest in the country and starkly apparent. The barrier is much more than a symbolic divide; it causes tangible difficulties for daily routines.
- The school commute that should take 15-20 minutes become an hour-long journey.
- Reaching important services like supermarkets, schools and employment centres is made more difficult.
- The site often sees antisocial behaviour, with reports of litter being thrown over the wall and other problems.
“You try to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one resident, gesturing towards the corroded barricade.
Local Bonds Amidst Challenges
Within Centre4, staff emphasise that support does not recognise addresses. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your personal struggles,” said director a community leader.
Despite ranking in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, the estate boasts a strong sense and sense of community among its inhabitants. By contrast, the neighbouring area ranks among the most prosperous 10% overall.
Echoes Elsewhere: An Estate in Kent
This phenomenon is repeated across the country. The Stanhope estate in Kent, a mid-century housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in the country. It is immediately adjacent by spacious 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, aged 63. “You’ll probably find many people over there never even talk to each other.”
The economic divide is clear: an typical family home costs about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide comparable homes go for about £410,000.
Residents describe a tangible sense of being overlooked. “Our neighbourhood gets ignored,” said holistic health worker Susan Riley-Nevers. “Over here our amenities have slowly been taken away, and most of the issues we face here are to do with financial hardship.”
The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ paints a picture of an ever more segregated England, where wealth and deprivation are often uncomfortably close neighbours.
