A Growing ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: How Prosperity and Hardship Are Found Side by Side in England.
Within a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, inhabitants live in properties only several yards from their more affluent neighbours in nearby Scartho. One 1.8-metre-high barricade physically divides the two areas in the town of Grimsby, blocking off roads and walkways that previously connected them.
“This is the divide between rich and poor,” remarked a resident, 37. “It’s been like this for as long as I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll take 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 shows how deep inequality can run, at times across little more than a short distance of tarmac, a hedge row or a wall. Years of austerity and underinvestment have led to a situation where a majority of local authorities now have a locality ranking as one of the most deprived in the country.
This geographical widening of poverty has led to a significant rise in the number of places where deprived and well-off residents find themselves living side by side. Just a few years ago, only 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods bordered one of the wealthiest. This number rose to 119 in the latest data.
A Barrier Which Does More Than Separate Land
At this Lincolnshire site, the gap is the biggest in the country and starkly obvious. The barrier is much more than a symbolic divide; it creates tangible difficulties for daily routines.
- School runs 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 can attract vandalism and loitering, with instances of rubbish being thrown over the wall and other problems.
“You try to maintain a nice house and nice garden, and then you live opposite that,” noted one resident, motioning at the rusted metal wall.
Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Hardship
At Centre4, staff emphasise that support does not recognise addresses. “Where you live doesn’t necessarily indicate your level of challenge,” said chief executive Tracey Good.
Regardless of ranking in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe boasts a strong sense and feeling of community among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, Scartho is classified among the most prosperous 10% overall.
A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford
This phenomenon is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in the country. It is closely bordered by spacious houses built in the 2000s that are in the top 10% for employment and living environment.
“They may possess bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented a long-term resident, aged 63. “It’s likely many people over there never even talk to each other.”
The economic gap is evident: an average family home costs about £275,000 on the estate, while across the divide comparable properties go for about £410,000.
Locals describe a palpable feeling of neglect. “This part of the community gets ignored,” stated 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 financial hardship.”
The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ paints a picture of an ever more divided England, where prosperity and deprivation are frequently uncomfortably in close proximity.
