🔗 Share this article The Rising ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: How Affluence and Hardship Are Found Cheek by Jowl in Across England. In Nunsthorpe, inhabitants occupy properties only several yards from their more affluent counterparts in nearby Scartho village. A 1.8-metre-high barricade literally divides the two areas in the town of Grimsby, blocking off roads and walkways that previously connected them. “It’s the posh-poor divide,” said a resident, 37. “It’s been like this for as long as I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll take it down because I suspect they’ll want to mix with us.” An Increasingly Common National Picture Data from official statistics shows the extent of inequality often exists, at times over nothing more than a short distance of asphalt, a line of hedges or a wall. Decades of budget cuts and underinvestment mean a majority of local authorities now have a neighbourhood ranking as one of the most deprived in the nation. The geographical widening of deprivation has led to a sharp rise in the number of locations where deprived and affluent residents find themselves living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the most deprived areas bordered one of the least deprived. That figure rose to 119 in the latest data. A Wall That Divides More Than Space At this Lincolnshire site, the gap is the most pronounced in the UK and starkly obvious. The barrier transcends being just a metaphorical division; it causes very real difficulties for everyday life. The school commute that ought to take 15-20 minutes become an sixty-minute journey. Reaching key amenities like supermarkets, schools and employment centres is made more difficult. The area can attract antisocial behaviour, with reports of litter being dumped over the wall and other issues. “You try to maintain a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one resident, gesturing towards the corroded barricade. Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Challenges At a local community centre, workers stress that support does not recognise addresses. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your personal struggles,” said chief executive Tracey Good. Regardless of ranking in the lowest 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, Nunsthorpe retains a strong sense and sense of togetherness among its residents. Meanwhile, Scartho ranks among the most prosperous 10% overall. A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent This pattern is mirrored nationally. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a 1960s housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in England. It is closely bordered by large detached homes built in the 2000s that are in the top 10% for job prospects and living environment. “They might have larger properties, but here there’s more community,” commented a long-term resident, 63. “You’ll probably find a lot of people in the new builds never even talk to each other.” The economic gap is evident: an typical family home costs about £275,000 on the estate, while on the other side comparable homes go for about £410,000. Locals describe a tangible feeling of being overlooked. “This part of the community is neglected,” said holistic health worker Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our facilities have gradually disappeared, and most of the community problems here are related to poverty.” The increase in these ‘inequality borders’ presents a picture of an increasingly segregated society, where prosperity and deprivation are often uncomfortably in close proximity.
In Nunsthorpe, inhabitants occupy properties only several yards from their more affluent counterparts in nearby Scartho village. A 1.8-metre-high barricade literally divides the two areas in the town of Grimsby, blocking off roads and walkways that previously connected them. “It’s the posh-poor divide,” said a resident, 37. “It’s been like this for as long as I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll take it down because I suspect they’ll want to mix with us.” An Increasingly Common National Picture Data from official statistics shows the extent of inequality often exists, at times over nothing more than a short distance of asphalt, a line of hedges or a wall. Decades of budget cuts and underinvestment mean a majority of local authorities now have a neighbourhood ranking as one of the most deprived in the nation. The geographical widening of deprivation has led to a sharp rise in the number of locations where deprived and affluent residents find themselves living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the most deprived areas bordered one of the least deprived. That figure rose to 119 in the latest data. A Wall That Divides More Than Space At this Lincolnshire site, the gap is the most pronounced in the UK and starkly obvious. The barrier transcends being just a metaphorical division; it causes very real difficulties for everyday life. The school commute that ought to take 15-20 minutes become an sixty-minute journey. Reaching key amenities like supermarkets, schools and employment centres is made more difficult. The area can attract antisocial behaviour, with reports of litter being dumped over the wall and other issues. “You try to maintain a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one resident, gesturing towards the corroded barricade. Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Challenges At a local community centre, workers stress that support does not recognise addresses. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your personal struggles,” said chief executive Tracey Good. Regardless of ranking in the lowest 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, Nunsthorpe retains a strong sense and sense of togetherness among its residents. Meanwhile, Scartho ranks among the most prosperous 10% overall. A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent This pattern is mirrored nationally. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a 1960s housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in England. It is closely bordered by large detached homes built in the 2000s that are in the top 10% for job prospects and living environment. “They might have larger properties, but here there’s more community,” commented a long-term resident, 63. “You’ll probably find a lot of people in the new builds never even talk to each other.” The economic gap is evident: an typical family home costs about £275,000 on the estate, while on the other side comparable homes go for about £410,000. Locals describe a tangible feeling of being overlooked. “This part of the community is neglected,” said holistic health worker Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our facilities have gradually disappeared, and most of the community problems here are related to poverty.” The increase in these ‘inequality borders’ presents a picture of an increasingly segregated society, where prosperity and deprivation are often uncomfortably in close proximity.