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

In Nunsthorpe, inhabitants live in properties just several yards from their more affluent counterparts in nearby Scartho village. A 1.8-metre-high barricade literally divides the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, blocking off roads and walkways that previously connected them.

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

A Stark National Picture

Analysis of official figures shows how deep disparity often exists, sometimes over little more than a short distance of tarmac, a hedge row or a wall. Decades of austerity and lack of funding have led to a situation where a majority of local authorities now have a locality ranking as one of the poorest in the country.

This geographical widening of deprivation has led to a sharp rise in the number of locations where deprived and affluent residents end up living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the poorest areas bordered one of the wealthiest. That figure increased to 119 in the most recent data.

A Wall That Divides More Than Land

At this Lincolnshire site, the divide is the biggest in the country and starkly obvious. The barrier is much more than a symbolic division; it creates tangible problems for everyday life.

• The school commute that ought to take 15-20 minutes turn into an hour-long journey.
• Reaching important amenities like supermarkets, schools and care homes is hindered.
• The site can attract antisocial behaviour, with reports of litter being dumped over the wall and related problems.

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

Local Bonds Amidst Challenges

Within Centre4, workers stress that support does not recognise addresses. “Your postcode 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, the estate retains a fierce loyalty and feeling of community among its residents. By contrast, the neighbouring area is classified among the least deprived 10% overall.

A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent

This phenomenon is repeated across the country. The Stanhope area in Kent, a mid-century overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in England. It is closely bordered by spacious houses built in the early 2000s that are in the wealthiest tenth for employment and living environment.

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

The financial gap is evident: an typical family home sells for about £275,000 on the estate, while on the other side comparable properties go for about £410,000.

Residents speak of a tangible sense of neglect. “This part of the community gets ignored,” stated resident Susan. “Over here our facilities have gradually disappeared, and most of the community problems here are to do with financial hardship.”

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