🔗 Share this article A Rising ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: How Prosperity and Deprivation Now Sit Cheek by Jowl in Across England. In a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents live in properties only a few metres from their wealthier neighbours in the adjacent Scartho village. A 1.8-metre-high barricade literally separates the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, blocking off paths and streets that once connected them. “It’s the divide between rich and poor,” said a resident, aged 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll bring it down because I suspect they’ll want to associate with us.” A Stark National Picture Data from official figures shows the extent of inequality can run, at times across little more than a few metres of tarmac, a line of hedges or a wall. Decades of austerity and underinvestment mean a majority of local authorities now have a locality ranking as one of the most deprived in the nation. This spread of poverty has coincided with a sharp increase in the number of locations where disadvantaged and well-off people find themselves as immediate neighbours. In 2019, just 65 of the poorest areas bordered one of the wealthiest. That figure increased to 119 in the latest data. A Wall That Divides More Than Land At this Lincolnshire site, the gap is the biggest in the UK and painfully apparent. The wall transcends being just a metaphorical divide; it causes tangible difficulties for daily routines. School runs that should take 15-20 minutes become an hour-long detour. Access to key amenities like grocery stores, schools and care homes is hindered. The area can attract vandalism and loitering, with reports of rubbish being dumped over the wall and related issues. “People strive to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one local, motioning at the corroded barricade. Community Spirit Amidst Challenges At Centre4, workers emphasise that need does not recognise addresses. “Where you live doesn’t necessarily indicate your personal struggles,” explained chief executive Tracey Good. Regardless of ranking in the lowest 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe retains a fierce loyalty and sense of togetherness among its residents. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area is classified among the most prosperous 10% overall. Echoes Elsewhere: An Estate in Kent This pattern is repeated across the country. The Stanhope area in Kent, a 1960s housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in England. It is closely bordered by large detached homes built in the 2000s that sit in the top 10% for job prospects and quality of surroundings. “They may possess larger properties, but here there’s more community,” commented Phil Hockley, 63. “You’ll probably find many people over there don’t even speak to each other.” The economic gap is evident: an average family home sells for about £275,000 on the estate, while on the other side equivalent homes fetch about £410,000. Residents speak of a tangible sense of neglect. “This part of the community is neglected,” 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 ‘inequality borders’ paints a picture of an increasingly divided society, where prosperity and need are frequently awkwardly close neighbours.
In a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents live in properties only a few metres from their wealthier neighbours in the adjacent Scartho village. A 1.8-metre-high barricade literally separates the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, blocking off paths and streets that once connected them. “It’s the divide between rich and poor,” said a resident, aged 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll bring it down because I suspect they’ll want to associate with us.” A Stark National Picture Data from official figures shows the extent of inequality can run, at times across little more than a few metres of tarmac, a line of hedges or a wall. Decades of austerity and underinvestment mean a majority of local authorities now have a locality ranking as one of the most deprived in the nation. This spread of poverty has coincided with a sharp increase in the number of locations where disadvantaged and well-off people find themselves as immediate neighbours. In 2019, just 65 of the poorest areas bordered one of the wealthiest. That figure increased to 119 in the latest data. A Wall That Divides More Than Land At this Lincolnshire site, the gap is the biggest in the UK and painfully apparent. The wall transcends being just a metaphorical divide; it causes tangible difficulties for daily routines. School runs that should take 15-20 minutes become an hour-long detour. Access to key amenities like grocery stores, schools and care homes is hindered. The area can attract vandalism and loitering, with reports of rubbish being dumped over the wall and related issues. “People strive to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one local, motioning at the corroded barricade. Community Spirit Amidst Challenges At Centre4, workers emphasise that need does not recognise addresses. “Where you live doesn’t necessarily indicate your personal struggles,” explained chief executive Tracey Good. Regardless of ranking in the lowest 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe retains a fierce loyalty and sense of togetherness among its residents. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area is classified among the most prosperous 10% overall. Echoes Elsewhere: An Estate in Kent This pattern is repeated across the country. The Stanhope area in Kent, a 1960s housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in England. It is closely bordered by large detached homes built in the 2000s that sit in the top 10% for job prospects and quality of surroundings. “They may possess larger properties, but here there’s more community,” commented Phil Hockley, 63. “You’ll probably find many people over there don’t even speak to each other.” The economic gap is evident: an average family home sells for about £275,000 on the estate, while on the other side equivalent homes fetch about £410,000. Residents speak of a tangible sense of neglect. “This part of the community is neglected,” 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 ‘inequality borders’ paints a picture of an increasingly divided society, where prosperity and need are frequently awkwardly close neighbours.