🔗 Share this article A Growing ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: How Prosperity and Hardship Are Found Side by Side in Across England. Within Nunsthorpe, residents occupy homes just a few metres from their wealthier counterparts in nearby Scartho. One six-foot-tall barricade literally separates the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, blocking off roads and walkways that previously connected them. “It’s the divide between rich and poor,” said a resident, 37. “It’s been like this since I’ve known. I doubt they’ll bring it down because I don’t think they’ll want to mix with us.” An Increasingly Common National Picture Data from government figures shows the extent of disparity can run, at times over nothing more than a few metres of tarmac, a hedge row or a wall. Years of austerity and underinvestment mean almost two-thirds of councils now have a locality classified as one of the most deprived in the country. The geographical widening of deprivation has led to a significant rise in the number of locations where deprived and well-off residents end up as immediate neighbours. In 2019, just 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods adjoined one of the wealthiest. This number rose to 119 in the most recent data. A Barrier Which Does More Than Separate Land At this Lincolnshire site, the gap is the most pronounced in the country and starkly apparent. The barrier is much more than a metaphorical division; it causes very real difficulties for daily routines. School runs that ought to take 15-20 minutes become an hour-long detour. Reaching important amenities like supermarkets, schools and care homes is made more difficult. The area can attract vandalism and loitering, with instances of rubbish being thrown over the wall and other problems. “You try to maintain a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one local, gesturing towards the corroded metal wall. Community Spirit Amidst Hardship At a local community centre, workers emphasise that support does not recognise postcodes. “Where you live doesn’t necessarily indicate your level of challenge,” explained chief executive a community leader. Despite being placed in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe retains a strong sense and feeling of togetherness among its residents. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area ranks among the least deprived 10% nationally. A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford This pattern is mirrored nationally. The Stanhope area 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 early 2000s that sit in the wealthiest tenth for employment and living environment. “They might have larger properties, but here there’s more community,” commented Phil Hockley, 63. “You’ll probably find a lot of people over there don’t even speak to each other.” The financial gap is clear: an typical three-bedroom house costs about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide comparable properties go for about £410,000. Residents speak of a tangible sense of neglect. “This part of the community gets ignored,” stated resident Susan. “In this area our amenities have slowly been taken away, and the majority of the issues we face here are to do with poverty.” The increase in these ‘inequality borders’ paints a picture of an increasingly divided society, where wealth and need are often uncomfortably close neighbours.
Within Nunsthorpe, residents occupy homes just a few metres from their wealthier counterparts in nearby Scartho. One six-foot-tall barricade literally separates the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, blocking off roads and walkways that previously connected them. “It’s the divide between rich and poor,” said a resident, 37. “It’s been like this since I’ve known. I doubt they’ll bring it down because I don’t think they’ll want to mix with us.” An Increasingly Common National Picture Data from government figures shows the extent of disparity can run, at times over nothing more than a few metres of tarmac, a hedge row or a wall. Years of austerity and underinvestment mean almost two-thirds of councils now have a locality classified as one of the most deprived in the country. The geographical widening of deprivation has led to a significant rise in the number of locations where deprived and well-off residents end up as immediate neighbours. In 2019, just 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods adjoined one of the wealthiest. This number rose to 119 in the most recent data. A Barrier Which Does More Than Separate Land At this Lincolnshire site, the gap is the most pronounced in the country and starkly apparent. The barrier is much more than a metaphorical division; it causes very real difficulties for daily routines. School runs that ought to take 15-20 minutes become an hour-long detour. Reaching important amenities like supermarkets, schools and care homes is made more difficult. The area can attract vandalism and loitering, with instances of rubbish being thrown over the wall and other problems. “You try to maintain a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one local, gesturing towards the corroded metal wall. Community Spirit Amidst Hardship At a local community centre, workers emphasise that support does not recognise postcodes. “Where you live doesn’t necessarily indicate your level of challenge,” explained chief executive a community leader. Despite being placed in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe retains a strong sense and feeling of togetherness among its residents. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area ranks among the least deprived 10% nationally. A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford This pattern is mirrored nationally. The Stanhope area 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 early 2000s that sit in the wealthiest tenth for employment and living environment. “They might have larger properties, but here there’s more community,” commented Phil Hockley, 63. “You’ll probably find a lot of people over there don’t even speak to each other.” The financial gap is clear: an typical three-bedroom house costs about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide comparable properties go for about £410,000. Residents speak of a tangible sense of neglect. “This part of the community gets ignored,” stated resident Susan. “In this area our amenities have slowly been taken away, and the majority of the issues we face here are to do with poverty.” The increase in these ‘inequality borders’ paints a picture of an increasingly divided society, where wealth and need are often uncomfortably close neighbours.