🔗 Share this article A Growing ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: The Way Prosperity and Hardship Are Found Side by Side in England. In a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents occupy properties just a few metres from their more affluent counterparts in the adjacent Scartho. A six-foot-tall barricade physically separates the two communities in the town of Grimsby, sealing off paths and streets that previously connected them. “This is 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 take it down because I don’t think they’ll want to associate with us.” A Stark National Picture Analysis of official figures shows the extent of disparity often exists, sometimes over nothing more than a few metres of tarmac, a hedge row or a barrier. Decades of budget cuts and lack of funding have led to a situation where a majority of local authorities now have a neighbourhood ranking as one of the poorest in the nation. This spread of poverty has led to a significant increase in the quantity of places where disadvantaged and affluent residents find themselves living side by side. Just a few years ago, just 65 of the most deprived neighbourhoods bordered one of the wealthiest. That figure rose to 119 in the most recent data. A Wall That Does More Than Separate Land At this Lincolnshire site, the divide is the most pronounced in the country and painfully apparent. The barrier is much more than a symbolic divide; it causes tangible difficulties for daily routines. School runs that ought to take 15-20 minutes turn into an hour-long detour. Reaching important amenities like supermarkets, schools and care homes is made more difficult. The site often sees antisocial behaviour, with reports of litter being dumped over the wall and related problems. “You try to maintain a nice house and nice garden, and then you live opposite that,” said one resident, motioning at the corroded barricade. Community Spirit Against a Backdrop of Challenges Within Centre4, staff stress that need does not recognise postcodes. “Your postcode is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” said director a community leader. Regardless of being placed in the lowest 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe boasts a fierce loyalty and feeling of togetherness among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, Scartho is classified among the most prosperous 10% nationally. Echoes Elsewhere: Stanhope in Ashford This phenomenon is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope estate in Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in England. It is closely bordered by large detached homes built in the early 2000s that are in the wealthiest tenth for job prospects and living environment. “They might have larger properties, but here there’s more community,” said Phil Hockley, 63. “It’s likely many people over there never even talk to each other.” The economic gap is evident: an typical family home sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide comparable homes fetch about £410,000. Locals speak of a palpable sense of being overlooked. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” said resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our facilities have slowly been taken away, and most of the community problems here are related to poverty.” The increase in these ‘deprivation divides’ paints a picture of an ever more segregated society, where prosperity and deprivation are frequently awkwardly in close proximity.
In a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents occupy properties just a few metres from their more affluent counterparts in the adjacent Scartho. A six-foot-tall barricade physically separates the two communities in the town of Grimsby, sealing off paths and streets that previously connected them. “This is 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 take it down because I don’t think they’ll want to associate with us.” A Stark National Picture Analysis of official figures shows the extent of disparity often exists, sometimes over nothing more than a few metres of tarmac, a hedge row or a barrier. Decades of budget cuts and lack of funding have led to a situation where a majority of local authorities now have a neighbourhood ranking as one of the poorest in the nation. This spread of poverty has led to a significant increase in the quantity of places where disadvantaged and affluent residents find themselves living side by side. Just a few years ago, just 65 of the most deprived neighbourhoods bordered one of the wealthiest. That figure rose to 119 in the most recent data. A Wall That Does More Than Separate Land At this Lincolnshire site, the divide is the most pronounced in the country and painfully apparent. The barrier is much more than a symbolic divide; it causes tangible difficulties for daily routines. School runs that ought to take 15-20 minutes turn into an hour-long detour. Reaching important amenities like supermarkets, schools and care homes is made more difficult. The site often sees antisocial behaviour, with reports of litter being dumped over the wall and related problems. “You try to maintain a nice house and nice garden, and then you live opposite that,” said one resident, motioning at the corroded barricade. Community Spirit Against a Backdrop of Challenges Within Centre4, staff stress that need does not recognise postcodes. “Your postcode is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” said director a community leader. Regardless of being placed in the lowest 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe boasts a fierce loyalty and feeling of togetherness among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, Scartho is classified among the most prosperous 10% nationally. Echoes Elsewhere: Stanhope in Ashford This phenomenon is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope estate in Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in England. It is closely bordered by large detached homes built in the early 2000s that are in the wealthiest tenth for job prospects and living environment. “They might have larger properties, but here there’s more community,” said Phil Hockley, 63. “It’s likely many people over there never even talk to each other.” The economic gap is evident: an typical family home sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide comparable homes fetch about £410,000. Locals speak of a palpable sense of being overlooked. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” said resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our facilities have slowly been taken away, and most of the community problems here are related to poverty.” The increase in these ‘deprivation divides’ paints a picture of an ever more segregated society, where prosperity and deprivation are frequently awkwardly in close proximity.