In Nunsthorpe, inhabitants occupy properties just a few metres from their wealthier neighbours in nearby Scartho village. A 1.8-metre-high wall physically divides the two communities in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, sealing off roads and walkways that previously connected them.
“This is the posh-poor divide,” remarked a resident, 37. “It’s been like this since I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll bring it down because I suspect they’ll want to associate with us.”
Analysis of official figures shows the extent of disparity often exists, sometimes over little more than a short distance of asphalt, a hedge row or a barrier. Decades of austerity and lack of funding have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of local authorities now have a locality ranking as one of the poorest in the country.
The geographical widening of deprivation has coincided with a sharp rise in the number of locations where disadvantaged and well-off residents end up as immediate neighbours. In 2019, only 65 of the poorest areas bordered one of the least deprived. This number rose to 119 in the latest data.
At this Lincolnshire site, the gap is the biggest in the country and starkly apparent. The barrier transcends being just a symbolic division; it causes tangible difficulties for daily routines.
“You try to maintain a well-kept home and garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one resident, gesturing towards the rusted metal wall.
Within Centre4, staff stress that need transcends addresses. “Your postcode doesn’t necessarily indicate your level of challenge,” said chief executive a community leader.
Regardless of being placed in the lowest 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, Nunsthorpe boasts a strong sense and feeling of togetherness among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area is classified among the least deprived 10% overall.
This phenomenon is mirrored nationally. The Stanhope estate in Kent, a 1960s housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in England. It is closely bordered by large houses built in the early 2000s that are in the wealthiest tenth for job prospects and quality of surroundings.
“They may possess larger properties, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented a long-term resident, 63. “It’s likely many people in the new builds don’t even speak to each other.”
The economic gap is evident: an average family home costs about £275,000 on the estate, while across the divide comparable properties fetch about £410,000.
Locals speak of a palpable feeling of being overlooked. “This part of the community gets ignored,” stated resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our amenities have gradually disappeared, and most of the community problems here are to do with financial hardship.”
The rise in these ‘inequality borders’ presents a picture of an ever more segregated England, where wealth and need are frequently uncomfortably in close proximity.
Astrophysicist and space technology consultant with 15 years of experience in lunar mission planning and research.
