The Rising ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: The Way Prosperity and Hardship Are Found Side by Side in England.

In a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents live in properties only a few metres from their wealthier counterparts in nearby Scartho. One six-foot-tall wall physically divides the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, sealing off paths and streets that once connected them.

“It’s the posh-poor divide,” said Serenity Colley, 37. “It’s been like this for as long as I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll bring it down because I suspect they’ll want to associate with us.”

An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country

Analysis of government statistics shows the extent of inequality often exists, at times across little more than a short distance of asphalt, a hedge row or a barrier. Decades of austerity and underinvestment mean almost two-thirds of councils now contain a neighbourhood classified as one of the poorest in the country.

The spread of poverty has led to a significant rise in the number of locations where deprived and well-off residents find themselves as immediate neighbours. In 2019, just 65 of the most deprived areas bordered one of the least deprived. This number increased to 119 in the latest data.

A Barrier Which Divides More Than Space

At this Lincolnshire site, the divide is the most pronounced in the UK and starkly apparent. The barrier transcends being just a metaphorical division; it creates very real difficulties for everyday life.

• The school commute that should take a quarter of an hour become an hour-long journey.
• Access to key services like grocery stores, schools and care homes is hindered.
• The area can attract vandalism and loitering, with reports of rubbish being dumped over the wall and related problems.

“You try to maintain a nice house and nice garden, and then you live opposite that,” said one local, gesturing towards the corroded metal wall.

Community Spirit Amidst Hardship

Within a local community centre, workers emphasise that need transcends addresses. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” said director a community leader.

Despite being placed in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe boasts a strong sense and feeling of community among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, Scartho ranks among the most prosperous 10% nationally.

Echoes Elsewhere: Stanhope in Ashford

This phenomenon is repeated nationally. The Stanhope area in Kent, a 1960s housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in England. It is closely bordered by large houses built in the early 2000s that sit in the top 10% for job prospects and quality of surroundings.

“They may possess bigger houses, but here there’s more community,” commented Phil Hockley, 63. “It’s likely a lot of people over there don’t even speak to each other.”

The financial divide is evident: an typical three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the estate, while across the divide equivalent properties fetch about £410,000.

Residents speak of a palpable sense of being overlooked. “Our neighbourhood gets ignored,” said resident Susan. “In this area our amenities have gradually disappeared, and most of the community problems here are related to financial hardship.”

The increase in these ‘inequality borders’ presents a picture of an increasingly segregated society, where wealth and need are often awkwardly close neighbours.