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

In a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents live in properties only several yards from their wealthier neighbours in the adjacent Scartho village. One six-foot-tall barricade literally separates the two areas in the town of Grimsby, sealing off roads and walkways that once connected them.

“It’s the posh-poor divide,” remarked a resident, aged 37. “It has been there for as long as I’ve known. I doubt they’ll take it down because I don’t think they’ll want to mix with us.”

A Stark Pattern Across the Country

Analysis of official statistics reveals how deep inequality often exists, at times over nothing more than a short distance of asphalt, a hedge row or a wall. Decades of austerity and lack of funding have led to a situation where a majority of councils now contain a locality classified as one of the most deprived in the country.

This geographical widening of poverty has led to a significant rise in the number of places where deprived and well-off residents find themselves as immediate neighbours. In 2019, only 65 of the most deprived areas bordered one of the wealthiest. This number increased to 119 in the latest data.

A Wall That Does More Than Separate Land

At this Lincolnshire site, the gap is the biggest in the UK and starkly apparent. The wall transcends being just a metaphorical divide; it creates very real difficulties for daily routines.

• The school commute that should take 15-20 minutes turn into an hour-long detour.
• Reaching key services like supermarkets, schools and employment centres is hindered.
• The site often sees vandalism and loitering, with reports of rubbish being thrown over the wall and related problems.

“You try to maintain a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one resident, gesturing towards the rusted metal wall.

Local Bonds Amidst Challenges

Within Centre4, staff emphasise that need does not recognise postcodes. “Where you live doesn’t necessarily indicate your level of challenge,” said chief executive a community leader.

Regardless of ranking in the lowest 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe retains a strong sense and sense of community among its inhabitants. By contrast, Scartho is classified among the least deprived 10% nationally.

Echoes Elsewhere: Stanhope in Ashford

This pattern is repeated across the country. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of neighbourhoods in England. It is closely bordered by spacious houses built in the 2000s that sit in the wealthiest tenth for employment and living environment.

“They may possess larger properties, but here there’s more community,” commented a long-term resident, aged 63. “It’s likely 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 on the other side comparable homes go for about £410,000.

Residents describe a tangible feeling of being overlooked. “This part of the community gets ignored,” said holistic health worker Susan. “Over here our facilities have slowly been taken away, and most of the issues we face here are to do with financial hardship.”

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