A Rising ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: How Prosperity and Hardship Are Found Cheek by Jowl in Across England.

In a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents live in homes just a few metres from their more affluent counterparts in nearby Scartho. One six-foot-tall barricade physically separates the two areas in the town of Grimsby, sealing off roads and walkways that previously linked them.

“This is the divide between rich and poor,” said a resident, aged 37. “It’s been like this since I’ve known. I doubt they’ll take it down because I don’t think they’ll want to mix with us.”

An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country

Data from official statistics shows the extent of inequality often exists, sometimes over little more than a short distance of asphalt, a hedge row or a barrier. Decades of austerity and underinvestment have led to a situation where a majority of local authorities now contain a locality ranking as one of the most deprived in the nation.

This spread of poverty has led to a significant rise in the quantity of places where disadvantaged and affluent people end up living side by side. In 2019, just 65 of the most deprived areas adjoined one of the least deprived. This number 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 starkly obvious. The barrier is much more than a symbolic division; it causes very real problems for daily routines.

• The school commute that ought to take 15-20 minutes become an hour-long detour.
• Reaching key amenities like supermarkets, educational facilities and care homes is made more difficult.
• The site can attract antisocial behaviour, with reports of litter being thrown over the wall and related issues.

“People strive to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you live opposite that,” said one local, gesturing towards the corroded metal wall.

Local Bonds Amidst Challenges

At a local community centre, workers stress that need does not recognise addresses. “Where you live doesn’t necessarily indicate your personal struggles,” explained director Tracey Good.

Despite being placed in the most deprived 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, Nunsthorpe retains a fierce loyalty and feeling of community among its residents. Meanwhile, Scartho is classified among the least deprived 10% overall.

A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford

This pattern is mirrored nationally. The Stanhope area in Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in England. It is immediately adjacent by spacious detached homes built in the 2000s that are in the wealthiest tenth for employment and quality of surroundings.

“They might have larger properties, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented Phil Hockley, 63. “You’ll probably find many people in the new builds never even talk to each other.”

The economic divide is clear: an typical family home sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide comparable properties fetch about £410,000.

Residents speak of a tangible feeling of neglect. “This part of the community is neglected,” said resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “Over here our amenities have slowly been taken away, and the majority of the issues we face here are related to poverty.”

The increase in these ‘deprivation divides’ paints a picture of an ever more divided society, where wealth and need are often awkwardly in close proximity.