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

Within Nunsthorpe, inhabitants occupy homes only a few metres from their more affluent neighbours in nearby Scartho village. A 1.8-metre-high barricade physically separates the two areas in the town of Grimsby, sealing off paths and streets that once connected them.

“It’s the posh-poor divide,” said a resident, aged 37. “It’s been like this for as long as I’ve known. I doubt they’ll bring it down because I suspect they’ll want to mix with us.”

A Stark National Picture

Data from official figures shows the extent of inequality often exists, at times over nothing more than a short distance of tarmac, a hedge row or a wall. Years of budget cuts and underinvestment mean almost two-thirds of councils now have a neighbourhood ranking as one of the poorest in the country.

The spread of deprivation has coincided with a significant increase in the number of places where disadvantaged and well-off people end up living side by side. In 2019, just 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods adjoined 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 divide is the biggest in the UK and starkly apparent. The wall transcends being just a metaphorical divide; it creates very real problems for daily routines.

• The school commute that ought to take 15-20 minutes turn into an hour-long detour.
• Access to key services like grocery stores, educational facilities and care homes is hindered.
• The area can attract antisocial behaviour, with instances of rubbish being dumped over the wall and related issues.

“You try to maintain a well-kept home and garden, and then you live opposite that,” noted one local, motioning at the corroded metal wall.

Local Bonds Amidst Challenges

Within a local community centre, workers emphasise that support does not recognise postcodes. “Your postcode doesn’t necessarily indicate your personal struggles,” said chief executive a community leader.

Regardless of being placed in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, the estate boasts a strong sense and sense of togetherness among its residents. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area ranks among the least deprived 10% nationally.

A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent

This pattern is mirrored nationally. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in the country. It is immediately adjacent by spacious detached homes built in the early 2000s that are in the top 10% for employment and living environment.

“They may possess bigger houses, but here there’s more community,” said a long-term resident, 63. “It’s likely a lot of people in the new builds don’t even speak to each other.”

The economic gap is evident: an typical three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the estate, while across the divide equivalent homes go for about £410,000.

Locals speak of a tangible feeling of neglect. “This part of the community is neglected,” said holistic health worker Susan Riley-Nevers. “Over here our amenities have gradually disappeared, and most of the issues we face here are related to financial hardship.”

The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ paints a portrait of an increasingly divided society, where prosperity and need are frequently awkwardly close neighbours.