A Growing ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: The Way Prosperity and Deprivation Now Sit Cheek by Jowl in England.

Within a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, inhabitants live in properties just a few metres from their wealthier counterparts in nearby Scartho. A six-foot-tall barricade literally divides the two communities in the town of Grimsby, sealing off paths and streets that previously connected them.

“It’s the posh-poor divide,” said a resident, aged 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.”

A Stark Pattern Across the Country

Analysis of official figures reveals the extent of disparity often exists, sometimes across nothing more than a short distance of asphalt, a line of hedges or a wall. Decades of austerity and lack of funding mean a majority of local authorities now contain a locality classified as one of the most deprived in the country.

This spread of poverty has led to a significant increase in the number of places where disadvantaged and well-off people end up as immediate neighbours. In 2019, only 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods bordered one of the least deprived. This number increased to 119 in the most recent data.

A Wall That Divides More Than Space

In Grimsby, the gap is the most pronounced in the country and painfully apparent. The wall is much more than a metaphorical divide; it causes very real difficulties for daily routines.

• The school commute that ought to take 15-20 minutes become an hour-long journey.
• Reaching key amenities like grocery stores, schools and employment centres is made more difficult.
• The area can attract antisocial behaviour, with instances of rubbish being dumped over the wall and other problems.

“You try to have a well-kept home and garden, and then you live opposite that,” noted one local, motioning at the rusted barricade.

Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Hardship

Within Centre4, workers stress that need transcends postcodes. “Where you live doesn’t necessarily indicate your personal struggles,” said director a community leader.

Despite ranking in the lowest 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe boasts a strong sense and sense of community among its residents. Meanwhile, Scartho ranks among the most prosperous 10% overall.

A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford

This phenomenon is repeated nationally. The Stanhope area in Kent, a mid-century housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in England. It is closely bordered by large houses built in the 2000s that are in the top 10% for job prospects and living environment.

“They might have bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented a long-term resident, aged 63. “It’s likely many people over there never even talk to each other.”

The financial divide is clear: an average three-bedroom house costs about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while on the other side comparable properties go for about £410,000.

Residents describe a tangible feeling of being overlooked. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” stated resident Susan. “In this area our facilities have slowly been taken away, and the majority of the community problems here are related to financial hardship.”

The rise in these ‘inequality borders’ presents a picture of an ever more segregated England, where prosperity and deprivation are often uncomfortably close neighbours.