The Rising ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: How Prosperity and Hardship Are Found Cheek by Jowl in Across England.

Within Nunsthorpe, inhabitants occupy properties only a few metres from their more affluent neighbours in nearby Scartho village. A six-foot-tall barricade literally separates the two areas in the town of Grimsby, blocking off roads and walkways that previously connected them.

“It’s the divide between rich and poor,” remarked Serenity Colley, aged 37. “It’s been like this since I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll take it down because I don’t think they’ll want to associate with us.”

A Stark Pattern Across the Country

Data from government figures reveals the extent of inequality can run, sometimes across little more than a few metres of asphalt, a hedge row or a wall. Years of austerity and lack of funding have led to a situation where a majority of councils now have a neighbourhood ranking as one of the poorest in the nation.

The geographical widening of poverty has led to a sharp rise in the number of places where disadvantaged and well-off people end up as immediate neighbours. Just a few years ago, only 65 of the most deprived areas bordered one of the least deprived. This number increased to 119 in the latest data.

A Barrier Which Does More Than Separate Space

At this Lincolnshire site, the gap is the biggest in the country and painfully apparent. The barrier is much more than a symbolic divide; it causes tangible difficulties for daily routines.

• School runs that ought to take 15-20 minutes become an hour-long journey.
• Access to important amenities like supermarkets, educational facilities and employment centres is hindered.
• The site often sees vandalism and loitering, with instances of rubbish being thrown over the wall and other problems.

“You try to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you live opposite that,” noted one local, motioning at the corroded metal wall.

Community Spirit Against a Backdrop of Hardship

Within a local community centre, staff emphasise that support does not recognise postcodes. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your personal struggles,” explained chief executive Tracey Good.

Despite being placed in the most deprived 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, Nunsthorpe boasts a fierce loyalty and feeling of togetherness among its residents. By contrast, the neighbouring area ranks among the least deprived 10% nationally.

A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent

This phenomenon is repeated nationally. The Stanhope estate in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century overspill estate, 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 job prospects and quality of surroundings.

“They might have larger properties, but here there’s more community,” commented a long-term resident, 63. “You’ll probably find a lot of people over there don’t even speak to each other.”

The financial divide is evident: an typical family home costs about £275,000 on the estate, while on the other side equivalent homes fetch about £410,000.

Locals describe a palpable feeling of neglect. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” stated resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our amenities have slowly been taken away, and most of the issues we face here are to do with poverty.”

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