The Growing ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: The Way Prosperity and Deprivation Now Sit Cheek by Jowl in England.
Within a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, inhabitants live in properties only several yards from their wealthier neighbours in nearby Scartho. One six-foot-tall wall physically separates the two communities in the town of Grimsby, sealing off paths and streets that previously linked them.
“It’s 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.”
An Increasingly Common National Picture
Analysis of government figures reveals the extent of disparity can run, sometimes over little more than a short distance of asphalt, a hedge row or a wall. Years of austerity and lack of funding have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of local authorities now contain a locality classified as one of the poorest in the nation.
This geographical widening of poverty has led to a significant increase in the number of locations where deprived and well-off people find themselves living side by side. Just a few years ago, just 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods adjoined one of the wealthiest. That figure rose to 119 in the latest data.
A Wall That Divides More Than Space
In Grimsby, the divide is the biggest in the UK and starkly obvious. The barrier transcends being just a metaphorical division; it causes tangible problems for everyday life.
- School runs that should take a quarter of an hour become an hour-long detour.
- Reaching key services like supermarkets, educational facilities and employment centres is made more difficult.
- The area often sees vandalism and loitering, with instances of rubbish being dumped over the wall and other problems.
“You try to maintain a well-kept home and garden, and then you live opposite that,” noted one local, motioning at the rusted metal wall.
Community Spirit Against a Backdrop of Hardship
Within Centre4, workers emphasise that support transcends addresses. “Your postcode is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” said director Tracey Good.
Regardless of ranking in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, the estate boasts a strong sense and sense of community among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, Scartho ranks among the least deprived 10% nationally.
Echoes Elsewhere: Stanhope in Ashford
This pattern is repeated nationally. The Stanhope estate in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century overspill estate, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of areas in the country. It is closely bordered by large detached homes built in the 2000s that are in the top 10% for job prospects and quality of surroundings.
“They might have bigger houses, but here there’s more community,” commented Phil Hockley, 63. “You’ll probably find a lot of people over there never even talk to each other.”
The economic divide is evident: an average three-bedroom house costs about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide comparable properties go for about £410,000.
Locals speak of a palpable feeling of neglect. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” stated holistic health worker Susan. “Over here our facilities have gradually disappeared, and the majority of the issues we face here are to do with poverty.”
The rise in these ‘inequality borders’ presents a portrait of an increasingly divided England, where wealth and need are often uncomfortably close neighbours.
