The Growing ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: The Way Affluence and Hardship Are Found Cheek by Jowl in England.
In Nunsthorpe, residents occupy homes just a few metres from their more affluent neighbours in the adjacent Scartho. One 1.8-metre-high wall physically divides the two communities in the town of Grimsby, blocking off roads and walkways that previously linked them.
“It’s the posh-poor divide,” remarked a resident, 37. “It’s been like this for as long as 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
Analysis of government statistics reveals how deep inequality often exists, sometimes over nothing more than a short distance of tarmac, a line of hedges or a wall. Decades of budget cuts and underinvestment mean a majority of councils now have a locality classified as one of the most deprived in the country.
The geographical widening of deprivation has coincided with a sharp increase in the number of locations where disadvantaged and well-off people end up living side by side. Just a few years ago, only 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods bordered one of the least deprived. That figure increased to 119 in the most recent data.
A Wall That Divides More Than Land
In Grimsby, the divide is the biggest in the country and starkly apparent. The wall is much more than a metaphorical divide; it causes tangible problems for daily routines.
- School runs that ought to take 15-20 minutes turn into an hour-long journey.
- Access to important services like grocery stores, schools and employment centres is made more difficult.
- The area can attract antisocial behaviour, with instances of rubbish being thrown over the wall and other problems.
“People strive to maintain a well-kept home and garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one resident, gesturing towards the rusted metal wall.
Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Challenges
At Centre4, workers stress that support does not recognise postcodes. “Where you live doesn’t necessarily indicate your personal struggles,” explained chief executive a community leader.
Regardless of ranking in the most deprived 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, Nunsthorpe boasts a strong sense and sense of togetherness among its residents. By contrast, the neighbouring area ranks among the least deprived 10% overall.
A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford
This phenomenon is mirrored nationally. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in England. It is closely bordered by spacious detached homes built in the 2000s that are in the wealthiest tenth for job prospects and quality of surroundings.
“They might have larger properties, but here there’s more community,” commented Phil Hockley, 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 family home costs about £275,000 on the estate, while across the divide equivalent properties fetch about £410,000.
Locals describe a tangible feeling of neglect. “Our neighbourhood gets ignored,” stated resident Susan. “Over here our amenities have gradually disappeared, and most of the issues we face here are to do with poverty.”
The increase in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a portrait of an increasingly segregated society, where prosperity and deprivation are frequently awkwardly in close proximity.