A Rising ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: The Way Affluence and Deprivation Now Sit Side by Side in England.

In Nunsthorpe, residents live in properties just a few metres from their wealthier counterparts in nearby Scartho. One 1.8-metre-high wall literally separates the two areas in the town of Grimsby, sealing off roads and walkways that once connected them.

“It’s the divide between rich and poor,” remarked 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 associate with us.”

A Stark National Picture

Data from official statistics reveals the extent of inequality often exists, sometimes over nothing more than a short distance of asphalt, a hedge row or a wall. Years of austerity and underinvestment have led to a situation where a majority of local authorities now contain a neighbourhood ranking as one of the poorest in the country.

The geographical widening of deprivation has coincided with a sharp increase in the quantity of places where disadvantaged and well-off residents find themselves as immediate neighbours. In 2019, just 65 of the most deprived areas bordered one of the wealthiest. That figure increased to 119 in the latest data.

A Barrier Which Does More Than Separate Space

In Grimsby, the gap is the most pronounced in the UK and painfully obvious. The wall is much more than a metaphorical divide; it causes very real difficulties for everyday life.

• The school commute that ought to take 15-20 minutes become an sixty-minute detour.
• Reaching important amenities like grocery stores, educational facilities and employment centres is hindered.
• The area can attract vandalism and loitering, with reports of rubbish being dumped over the wall and related issues.

“You try to maintain a nice house and nice garden, and then you live opposite that,” noted one local, motioning at the corroded metal wall.

Local Bonds Amidst Challenges

Within a local community centre, workers emphasise that need does not recognise postcodes. “Where you live doesn’t necessarily indicate your personal struggles,” explained chief executive a community leader.

Despite ranking in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, the estate retains a strong sense and sense of togetherness among its residents. By contrast, Scartho ranks among the most prosperous 10% overall.

A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent

This phenomenon is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope estate in Kent, a mid-century overspill estate, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of areas in England. It is immediately adjacent by large detached homes built in the early 2000s that sit in the top 10% for employment and quality of surroundings.

“They may possess bigger houses, but here there’s more community,” commented Phil Hockley, 63. “It’s likely many 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 on the other side equivalent properties go for about £410,000.

Residents describe a tangible sense of being overlooked. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” stated holistic health worker Susan. “In this area our facilities have gradually disappeared, and the majority of the community problems here are to do with poverty.”

The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a portrait of an increasingly divided society, where wealth and deprivation are often awkwardly in close proximity.