A Rising ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: How Prosperity and Deprivation Now Sit Side by Side in England.
Within Nunsthorpe, residents occupy homes only a few metres from their more affluent neighbours in nearby Scartho. One 1.8-metre-high barricade literally divides the two communities in the town of Grimsby, blocking off roads and walkways that once linked them.
“It’s the divide between rich and poor,” said a resident, aged 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I doubt they’ll bring it down because I don’t think they’ll want to associate with us.”
A Stark Pattern Across the Country
Analysis of official figures shows the extent of inequality often exists, at times across little more than a few metres of tarmac, a line of hedges or a wall. Years of budget cuts and underinvestment mean a majority of local authorities now contain a neighbourhood ranking as one of the most deprived in the nation.
The spread of deprivation has led to a significant increase in the quantity of locations where disadvantaged and affluent people find themselves living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the most deprived areas adjoined one of the wealthiest. This number increased to 119 in the most recent data.
A Barrier Which Divides More Than Space
In Grimsby, the gap is the most pronounced in the country and painfully apparent. The wall transcends being just a symbolic divide; it creates tangible difficulties for daily routines.
- The school commute that should take a quarter of an hour turn into an sixty-minute journey.
- Reaching key services like grocery stores, educational facilities and employment centres is made more difficult.
- The area often sees antisocial behaviour, with instances of litter being dumped over the wall and other issues.
“People strive to maintain a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one local, gesturing towards the rusted barricade.
Community Spirit Amidst Hardship
Within a local community centre, workers stress that need transcends addresses. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your personal struggles,” explained director Tracey Good.
Despite ranking in the lowest 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe retains a strong sense and feeling of community among its inhabitants. By contrast, Scartho is classified among the most prosperous 10% nationally.
Echoes Elsewhere: Stanhope in Ashford
This pattern is repeated nationally. The Stanhope estate in Ashford, Kent, a 1960s housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in England. It is immediately adjacent by large houses built in the 2000s that are in the top 10% for employment and living environment.
“They might have larger properties, but here there’s more 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 evident: an typical family home sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide equivalent properties go for about £410,000.
Locals speak of a palpable sense of neglect. “This part of the community is neglected,” stated resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our facilities have gradually disappeared, and most of the community problems here are related to poverty.”
The increase in these ‘deprivation divides’ paints a portrait of an ever more divided England, where wealth and deprivation are frequently uncomfortably close neighbours.
