🔗 Share this article The Growing ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: How Affluence and Deprivation Now Sit Side by Side in Across England. In a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, inhabitants live in properties just several yards from their wealthier neighbours in nearby Scartho. A 1.8-metre-high barricade literally separates the two communities in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, blocking off roads and walkways that once linked them. “It’s the posh-poor divide,” remarked Serenity Colley, aged 37. “It has been there 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 mix with us.” An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country Analysis of government statistics shows the extent of disparity often exists, sometimes over nothing more than a short distance of tarmac, a hedge row or a wall. Years of budget cuts and lack of funding have led to a situation where a majority of councils now contain a locality classified as one of the poorest in the nation. The geographical widening of poverty has coincided with a significant increase in the quantity of places where deprived and affluent residents find themselves living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the most deprived areas bordered one of the wealthiest. That figure increased to 119 in the most recent data. A Barrier Which Divides More Than Land In Grimsby, the divide is the most pronounced in the UK and painfully obvious. The wall is much more than a metaphorical division; it causes tangible difficulties for daily routines. School runs that should take 15-20 minutes turn into an sixty-minute journey. Access to important amenities like supermarkets, schools and employment centres is hindered. The area can attract antisocial behaviour, with reports of rubbish being dumped over the wall and related issues. “People strive to maintain a well-kept home and garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one local, motioning at the rusted metal wall. Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Challenges At Centre4, staff stress that need transcends addresses. “Your postcode is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” explained chief executive Tracey Good. Despite ranking in the most deprived 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, Nunsthorpe boasts a fierce loyalty and sense of community among its inhabitants. By contrast, the neighbouring area ranks among the most prosperous 10% overall. Echoes Elsewhere: Stanhope in Ashford This phenomenon is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope estate in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in the country. It is closely bordered by spacious houses built in the 2000s that are in the top 10% for job prospects and quality of surroundings. “They may possess larger properties, but here there’s a stronger community,” said a long-term resident, aged 63. “You’ll probably find many people over there don’t even speak to each other.” The economic gap is clear: an typical family home costs about £275,000 on the estate, while on the other side comparable homes go for about £410,000. Residents describe a palpable feeling of neglect. “This part of the community gets ignored,” said resident Susan. “In this area our facilities 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 ever more segregated society, where wealth and need are often awkwardly in close proximity.
In a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, inhabitants live in properties just several yards from their wealthier neighbours in nearby Scartho. A 1.8-metre-high barricade literally separates the two communities in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, blocking off roads and walkways that once linked them. “It’s the posh-poor divide,” remarked Serenity Colley, aged 37. “It has been there 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 mix with us.” An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country Analysis of government statistics shows the extent of disparity often exists, sometimes over nothing more than a short distance of tarmac, a hedge row or a wall. Years of budget cuts and lack of funding have led to a situation where a majority of councils now contain a locality classified as one of the poorest in the nation. The geographical widening of poverty has coincided with a significant increase in the quantity of places where deprived and affluent residents find themselves living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the most deprived areas bordered one of the wealthiest. That figure increased to 119 in the most recent data. A Barrier Which Divides More Than Land In Grimsby, the divide is the most pronounced in the UK and painfully obvious. The wall is much more than a metaphorical division; it causes tangible difficulties for daily routines. School runs that should take 15-20 minutes turn into an sixty-minute journey. Access to important amenities like supermarkets, schools and employment centres is hindered. The area can attract antisocial behaviour, with reports of rubbish being dumped over the wall and related issues. “People strive to maintain a well-kept home and garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one local, motioning at the rusted metal wall. Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Challenges At Centre4, staff stress that need transcends addresses. “Your postcode is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” explained chief executive Tracey Good. Despite ranking in the most deprived 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, Nunsthorpe boasts a fierce loyalty and sense of community among its inhabitants. By contrast, the neighbouring area ranks among the most prosperous 10% overall. Echoes Elsewhere: Stanhope in Ashford This phenomenon is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope estate in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in the country. It is closely bordered by spacious houses built in the 2000s that are in the top 10% for job prospects and quality of surroundings. “They may possess larger properties, but here there’s a stronger community,” said a long-term resident, aged 63. “You’ll probably find many people over there don’t even speak to each other.” The economic gap is clear: an typical family home costs about £275,000 on the estate, while on the other side comparable homes go for about £410,000. Residents describe a palpable feeling of neglect. “This part of the community gets ignored,” said resident Susan. “In this area our facilities 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 ever more segregated society, where wealth and need are often awkwardly in close proximity.