🔗 Share this article A Growing ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: How Prosperity and Hardship Are Found Side by Side in Across England. In Nunsthorpe, inhabitants live in properties just several yards from their wealthier neighbours in nearby Scartho village. One six-foot-tall wall literally separates the two areas in the town of Grimsby, blocking off paths and streets that once connected them. “It’s the posh-poor divide,” remarked Serenity Colley, 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.” An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country Data from official statistics reveals how deep inequality can run, at times over nothing more than a short distance of asphalt, a hedge row or a barrier. Decades of austerity and underinvestment have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of local authorities now have a locality classified as one of the poorest in the country. This spread of deprivation has led to a sharp rise in the number of places where disadvantaged and affluent residents end up as immediate neighbours. Just a few years ago, just 65 of the poorest areas adjoined one of the least deprived. That figure increased to 119 in the latest data. A Wall That Divides More Than Land At this Lincolnshire site, the gap is the biggest in the country and painfully obvious. The wall transcends being just a metaphorical divide; it causes very real difficulties for everyday life. The school commute that should take 15-20 minutes turn into an hour-long detour. Reaching key services like supermarkets, schools and care homes is made more difficult. The area can attract vandalism and loitering, with reports of litter being thrown over the wall and other issues. “People strive to maintain a nice house and nice garden, and then you live opposite that,” noted one resident, motioning at the corroded barricade. Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Challenges At Centre4, workers emphasise that need transcends postcodes. “Your postcode is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” said director a community leader. Despite ranking in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, the estate boasts a fierce loyalty and sense of community among its residents. Meanwhile, Scartho ranks among the least deprived 10% nationally. Echoes Elsewhere: An Estate in Kent This phenomenon is repeated across the country. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in England. It is immediately adjacent by large houses built in the early 2000s that are in the wealthiest tenth for employment and quality of surroundings. “They might have bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented a long-term resident, 63. “It’s likely a lot of people in the new builds never even talk to each other.” The economic divide is clear: an average three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the estate, while across the divide comparable homes fetch about £410,000. Residents describe a tangible sense of neglect. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” said holistic health worker Susan. “Over here our amenities have slowly been taken away, and the majority of the community problems here are to do with poverty.” The rise in these ‘inequality borders’ paints a portrait of an ever more segregated society, where prosperity and deprivation are frequently awkwardly close neighbours.
In Nunsthorpe, inhabitants live in properties just several yards from their wealthier neighbours in nearby Scartho village. One six-foot-tall wall literally separates the two areas in the town of Grimsby, blocking off paths and streets that once connected them. “It’s the posh-poor divide,” remarked Serenity Colley, 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.” An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country Data from official statistics reveals how deep inequality can run, at times over nothing more than a short distance of asphalt, a hedge row or a barrier. Decades of austerity and underinvestment have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of local authorities now have a locality classified as one of the poorest in the country. This spread of deprivation has led to a sharp rise in the number of places where disadvantaged and affluent residents end up as immediate neighbours. Just a few years ago, just 65 of the poorest areas adjoined one of the least deprived. That figure increased to 119 in the latest data. A Wall That Divides More Than Land At this Lincolnshire site, the gap is the biggest in the country and painfully obvious. The wall transcends being just a metaphorical divide; it causes very real difficulties for everyday life. The school commute that should take 15-20 minutes turn into an hour-long detour. Reaching key services like supermarkets, schools and care homes is made more difficult. The area can attract vandalism and loitering, with reports of litter being thrown over the wall and other issues. “People strive to maintain a nice house and nice garden, and then you live opposite that,” noted one resident, motioning at the corroded barricade. Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Challenges At Centre4, workers emphasise that need transcends postcodes. “Your postcode is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” said director a community leader. Despite ranking in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, the estate boasts a fierce loyalty and sense of community among its residents. Meanwhile, Scartho ranks among the least deprived 10% nationally. Echoes Elsewhere: An Estate in Kent This phenomenon is repeated across the country. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in England. It is immediately adjacent by large houses built in the early 2000s that are in the wealthiest tenth for employment and quality of surroundings. “They might have bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented a long-term resident, 63. “It’s likely a lot of people in the new builds never even talk to each other.” The economic divide is clear: an average three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the estate, while across the divide comparable homes fetch about £410,000. Residents describe a tangible sense of neglect. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” said holistic health worker Susan. “Over here our amenities have slowly been taken away, and the majority of the community problems here are to do with poverty.” The rise in these ‘inequality borders’ paints a portrait of an ever more segregated society, where prosperity and deprivation are frequently awkwardly close neighbours.