The Growing ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: How Affluence and Deprivation Now Sit Cheek by Jowl in England.
In a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents live in properties just a few metres from their wealthier neighbours in nearby Scartho village. A six-foot-tall wall physically divides the two areas in the town of Grimsby, blocking off paths and streets that previously linked them.
“It’s the divide between rich and poor,” said Serenity Colley, aged 37. “It’s been like this since I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll bring it down because I suspect they’ll want to mix with us.”
A Stark National Picture
Analysis of government statistics reveals the extent of inequality can run, sometimes over little more than a short distance of tarmac, a hedge row or a barrier. Years of budget cuts and lack of funding mean a majority of local authorities now have a locality classified as one of the most deprived in the nation.
The spread of deprivation has coincided with a significant rise in the quantity of places where deprived and well-off people find themselves as immediate neighbours. In 2019, just 65 of the poorest areas adjoined one of the wealthiest. That figure increased to 119 in the most recent data.
A Barrier Which Divides More Than Space
In Grimsby, the divide is the most pronounced in the country and starkly obvious. The barrier transcends being just a metaphorical divide; it causes very real difficulties for everyday life.
- The school commute that ought to take 15-20 minutes turn into an sixty-minute detour.
- Access to important services like grocery stores, schools and employment centres is made more difficult.
- The site can attract antisocial behaviour, with reports of rubbish being dumped over the wall and related problems.
“People strive to maintain a well-kept home and garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one resident, gesturing towards the corroded metal wall.
Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Challenges
At a local community centre, staff stress that need transcends postcodes. “Your postcode is not a reliable indicator of your personal struggles,” said chief executive a community leader.
Regardless of being placed in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe boasts a strong sense and feeling of togetherness among its inhabitants. By contrast, Scartho ranks among the least deprived 10% nationally.
A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford
This pattern is repeated nationally. The Stanhope area in Kent, a mid-century overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in the country. It is closely bordered by large houses built in the 2000s that sit in the top 10% for job prospects and quality of surroundings.
“They might have bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented Phil Hockley, 63. “It’s likely a lot of people over there never even talk to each other.”
The economic gap is evident: an typical three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide equivalent properties go for about £410,000.
Locals describe a palpable sense of being overlooked. “This part of the community is neglected,” stated holistic health worker Susan Riley-Nevers. “Over here our facilities have slowly been taken away, and most of the community problems here are related to poverty.”
The rise in these ‘inequality borders’ paints a portrait of an increasingly segregated England, where wealth and need are often awkwardly in close proximity.