🔗 Share this article A Growing ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: How Prosperity and Deprivation Are Found Cheek by Jowl in England. In a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents live in properties only several yards from their more affluent neighbours in the adjacent Scartho. A 1.8-metre-high barricade physically separates the two communities in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, sealing off roads and walkways that previously linked them. “This is the posh-poor divide,” remarked a resident, 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I doubt they’ll bring it down because I don’t think they’ll want to associate with us.” An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country Data from official statistics reveals the extent of disparity often exists, sometimes across nothing more than a few metres of asphalt, a line of hedges or a wall. Years of austerity and underinvestment mean almost two-thirds of councils now contain a neighbourhood classified as one of the most deprived in the country. The geographical widening of poverty has coincided with a sharp increase in the number of places where deprived and well-off people find themselves as immediate neighbours. In 2019, just 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods bordered one of the wealthiest. This number 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 UK and painfully obvious. The barrier transcends being just a symbolic divide; it causes tangible problems for daily routines. The school commute that should take a quarter of an hour turn into an hour-long detour. Access to key services like grocery stores, educational facilities and care homes is hindered. The area can attract vandalism and loitering, with instances of rubbish being dumped over the wall and other issues. “People strive to have a well-kept home and garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one resident, motioning at the corroded metal wall. Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Challenges At Centre4, workers emphasise that need transcends postcodes. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” explained chief executive a community leader. Regardless of ranking in the lowest 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe boasts a fierce loyalty and feeling of community among its residents. By contrast, the neighbouring area is classified among the least deprived 10% overall. A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent This pattern is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope area in Kent, a 1960s housing development, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of areas in the country. It is immediately adjacent by large detached homes built in the 2000s that sit in the top 10% for job prospects and quality of surroundings. “They might have larger properties, but here there’s more community,” commented Phil Hockley, aged 63. “You’ll probably find many people in the new builds don’t even speak to each other.” The economic divide is clear: an typical family home costs about £275,000 on the estate, while across the divide equivalent homes fetch about £410,000. Locals speak of a palpable sense of being overlooked. “This part of the community is neglected,” said holistic health worker Susan. “Over here our amenities have gradually disappeared, and most of the community problems here are related to poverty.” The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ paints a portrait of an increasingly divided society, where wealth and need are frequently awkwardly close neighbours.
In a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents live in properties only several yards from their more affluent neighbours in the adjacent Scartho. A 1.8-metre-high barricade physically separates the two communities in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, sealing off roads and walkways that previously linked them. “This is the posh-poor divide,” remarked a resident, 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I doubt they’ll bring it down because I don’t think they’ll want to associate with us.” An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country Data from official statistics reveals the extent of disparity often exists, sometimes across nothing more than a few metres of asphalt, a line of hedges or a wall. Years of austerity and underinvestment mean almost two-thirds of councils now contain a neighbourhood classified as one of the most deprived in the country. The geographical widening of poverty has coincided with a sharp increase in the number of places where deprived and well-off people find themselves as immediate neighbours. In 2019, just 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods bordered one of the wealthiest. This number 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 UK and painfully obvious. The barrier transcends being just a symbolic divide; it causes tangible problems for daily routines. The school commute that should take a quarter of an hour turn into an hour-long detour. Access to key services like grocery stores, educational facilities and care homes is hindered. The area can attract vandalism and loitering, with instances of rubbish being dumped over the wall and other issues. “People strive to have a well-kept home and garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one resident, motioning at the corroded metal wall. Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Challenges At Centre4, workers emphasise that need transcends postcodes. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” explained chief executive a community leader. Regardless of ranking in the lowest 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe boasts a fierce loyalty and feeling of community among its residents. By contrast, the neighbouring area is classified among the least deprived 10% overall. A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent This pattern is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope area in Kent, a 1960s housing development, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of areas in the country. It is immediately adjacent by large detached homes built in the 2000s that sit in the top 10% for job prospects and quality of surroundings. “They might have larger properties, but here there’s more community,” commented Phil Hockley, aged 63. “You’ll probably find many people in the new builds don’t even speak to each other.” The economic divide is clear: an typical family home costs about £275,000 on the estate, while across the divide equivalent homes fetch about £410,000. Locals speak of a palpable sense of being overlooked. “This part of the community is neglected,” said holistic health worker Susan. “Over here our amenities have gradually disappeared, and most of the community problems here are related to poverty.” The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ paints a portrait of an increasingly divided society, where wealth and need are frequently awkwardly close neighbours.