The Growing ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: How Prosperity and Deprivation Are Found Cheek by Jowl in England.
In a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents occupy properties only a few metres from their more affluent counterparts in nearby Scartho. A six-foot-tall wall literally separates the two areas in the town of Grimsby, blocking off paths and streets that once linked them.
“This is the divide between rich and poor,” remarked Serenity Colley, 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 Pattern Across the Country
Analysis of government statistics reveals the extent of disparity often exists, at times over little more than a few metres of asphalt, a hedge row or a wall. Years of budget cuts and lack of funding have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of local authorities now have a neighbourhood classified as one of the most deprived in the nation.
The spread of deprivation has led to a sharp increase in the quantity of places where deprived and well-off people end up as immediate neighbours. Just a few years ago, only 65 of the most deprived areas adjoined one of the least deprived. That figure increased to 119 in the most recent data.
A Barrier Which Divides More Than Space
In Grimsby, the gap is the biggest in the UK and painfully obvious. The barrier is much more than a symbolic divide; it creates tangible difficulties for daily routines.
- The school commute that should take a quarter of an hour turn into an sixty-minute detour.
- Access to important amenities like grocery stores, schools and care homes is hindered.
- The area can attract antisocial behaviour, with instances of litter being dumped over the wall and related issues.
“You try to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one resident, gesturing towards the rusted barricade.
Community Spirit Amidst Hardship
At Centre4, workers emphasise that support does not recognise postcodes. “Where you live doesn’t necessarily indicate your personal struggles,” said chief executive a community leader.
Regardless of being placed in the most deprived 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, the estate boasts a fierce loyalty and feeling of togetherness among its residents. By contrast, Scartho ranks among the most prosperous 10% nationally.
A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford
This pattern is repeated across the country. The Stanhope estate in Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of areas in England. It is closely bordered by large detached homes built in the 2000s that are in the top 10% for employment and living environment.
“They may possess bigger houses, but here there’s more community,” commented a long-term resident, 63. “It’s likely a lot of people over there don’t even speak to each other.”
The financial gap is clear: 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 palpable feeling of being overlooked. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” said resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our amenities have slowly been taken away, and the majority of the community problems here are related to poverty.”
The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a picture of an increasingly segregated society, where wealth and deprivation are frequently uncomfortably in close proximity.