🔗 Share this article A Rising ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: The Way Affluence and Deprivation Are Found Side by Side in Across England. Within Nunsthorpe, residents occupy properties only several yards from their more affluent counterparts in nearby Scartho. A 1.8-metre-high wall literally divides the two communities in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, blocking off paths and streets that once connected them. “It’s the posh-poor divide,” remarked a resident, aged 37. “It has been there for as long as I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll take it down because I suspect they’ll want to associate with us.” An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country Data from government figures shows the extent of inequality often exists, at times over little more than a short distance of asphalt, a line of hedges or a wall. Decades of budget cuts and lack of funding have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of local authorities now have a neighbourhood ranking as one of the most deprived in the nation. This geographical widening of poverty has led to a sharp rise in the number of locations where deprived and well-off people end up living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods bordered one of the least deprived. That figure increased to 119 in the latest data. A Wall That Divides More Than Space At this Lincolnshire site, the gap is the biggest in the UK and starkly apparent. The wall is much more than a symbolic divide; it creates very real problems for everyday life. The school commute that should take a quarter of an hour become an hour-long journey. Reaching key services like grocery stores, educational facilities and employment centres is hindered. The site can attract antisocial behaviour, with reports of litter being dumped over the wall and other problems. “People strive to maintain a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one local, gesturing towards the rusted barricade. Community Spirit Against a Backdrop of Hardship At a local community centre, staff stress that support does not recognise postcodes. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your personal struggles,” explained chief executive Tracey Good. Regardless of being placed in the most deprived 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, Nunsthorpe boasts a strong sense and sense of community among its residents. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area is classified among the least deprived 10% nationally. A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford This phenomenon is repeated across the country. The Stanhope estate in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century overspill estate, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of areas in England. It is closely bordered by spacious detached homes built in the early 2000s that sit in the wealthiest tenth for employment and living environment. “They may possess larger properties, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented Phil Hockley, aged 63. “You’ll probably find many people in the new builds don’t even speak to each other.” The economic gap is clear: an average family home costs about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while on the other side equivalent homes fetch about £410,000. Residents speak of a tangible feeling of being overlooked. “This part of the community is neglected,” stated resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “Over here our amenities have slowly been taken away, and most of the community problems here are related to financial hardship.” The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a portrait of an increasingly divided society, where wealth and deprivation are often awkwardly close neighbours.
Within Nunsthorpe, residents occupy properties only several yards from their more affluent counterparts in nearby Scartho. A 1.8-metre-high wall literally divides the two communities in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, blocking off paths and streets that once connected them. “It’s the posh-poor divide,” remarked a resident, aged 37. “It has been there for as long as I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll take it down because I suspect they’ll want to associate with us.” An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country Data from government figures shows the extent of inequality often exists, at times over little more than a short distance of asphalt, a line of hedges or a wall. Decades of budget cuts and lack of funding have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of local authorities now have a neighbourhood ranking as one of the most deprived in the nation. This geographical widening of poverty has led to a sharp rise in the number of locations where deprived and well-off people end up living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods bordered one of the least deprived. That figure increased to 119 in the latest data. A Wall That Divides More Than Space At this Lincolnshire site, the gap is the biggest in the UK and starkly apparent. The wall is much more than a symbolic divide; it creates very real problems for everyday life. The school commute that should take a quarter of an hour become an hour-long journey. Reaching key services like grocery stores, educational facilities and employment centres is hindered. The site can attract antisocial behaviour, with reports of litter being dumped over the wall and other problems. “People strive to maintain a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one local, gesturing towards the rusted barricade. Community Spirit Against a Backdrop of Hardship At a local community centre, staff stress that support does not recognise postcodes. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your personal struggles,” explained chief executive Tracey Good. Regardless of being placed in the most deprived 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, Nunsthorpe boasts a strong sense and sense of community among its residents. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area is classified among the least deprived 10% nationally. A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford This phenomenon is repeated across the country. The Stanhope estate in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century overspill estate, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of areas in England. It is closely bordered by spacious detached homes built in the early 2000s that sit in the wealthiest tenth for employment and living environment. “They may possess larger properties, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented Phil Hockley, aged 63. “You’ll probably find many people in the new builds don’t even speak to each other.” The economic gap is clear: an average family home costs about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while on the other side equivalent homes fetch about £410,000. Residents speak of a tangible feeling of being overlooked. “This part of the community is neglected,” stated resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “Over here our amenities have slowly been taken away, and most of the community problems here are related to financial hardship.” The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a portrait of an increasingly divided society, where wealth and deprivation are often awkwardly close neighbours.