The Rising ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: How Affluence and Deprivation Now Sit Side by Side in Across England.

In Nunsthorpe, residents occupy homes only a few metres from their more affluent neighbours in nearby Scartho. One 1.8-metre-high barricade literally separates the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, 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

Data from official figures shows the extent of disparity often exists, at times across nothing more than a short distance of tarmac, a line of hedges or a wall. Years of austerity and underinvestment mean a majority of local authorities now have a locality classified as one of the most deprived in the country.

The geographical widening of deprivation has led to a significant rise in the quantity of locations where disadvantaged and affluent people find themselves as immediate neighbours. Just a few years ago, just 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods bordered one of the least deprived. This number rose to 119 in the latest data.

A Wall That Does More Than Separate Land

At this Lincolnshire site, the divide is the biggest in the country and painfully apparent. The barrier transcends being just a metaphorical divide; it causes very real difficulties for everyday life.

• The school commute that should take a quarter of an hour turn into an hour-long journey.
• Reaching important amenities like grocery stores, schools and care homes is made more difficult.
• The site often sees vandalism and loitering, with reports of rubbish being dumped over the wall and related problems.

“People strive to maintain a nice house and nice garden, and then you live opposite that,” noted one resident, motioning at the corroded barricade.

Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Hardship

At a local community centre, staff emphasise that need does not recognise postcodes. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” explained director Tracey Good.

Despite ranking in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, the estate boasts a strong sense and feeling of community among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area is classified among the most prosperous 10% nationally.

A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent

This pattern is repeated across the country. The Stanhope area in Kent, a mid-century overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in the country. It is closely bordered by spacious houses built in the early 2000s that are in the top 10% for job prospects and quality of surroundings.

“They might have larger properties, but here there’s more community,” said a long-term resident, aged 63. “You’ll probably find many people over there never even talk to each other.”

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

Residents describe a palpable sense of neglect. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” said holistic health worker Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our amenities have slowly been taken away, and the majority of the community problems here are related to financial hardship.”

The increase in these ‘inequality borders’ paints a picture of an increasingly divided England, where wealth and deprivation are often awkwardly in close proximity.