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

In a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents occupy properties just several yards from their wealthier neighbours in nearby Scartho. A six-foot-tall barricade literally divides the two communities in the town of Grimsby, blocking off paths and streets that previously linked them.

“It’s the divide between rich and poor,” remarked Serenity Colley, 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I doubt they’ll take it down because I suspect they’ll want to mix with us.”

A Stark National Picture

Analysis of official figures reveals how deep inequality often exists, sometimes across nothing more than a short distance of asphalt, a hedge row or a barrier. Years of austerity and lack of funding have led to a situation where a majority of councils now contain a neighbourhood classified as one of the most deprived in the nation.

This geographical widening of poverty has coincided with a significant rise in the number of places where deprived and affluent people end up as immediate neighbours. In 2019, only 65 of the most deprived areas bordered one of the least deprived. That figure increased to 119 in the latest data.

A Barrier Which Divides More Than Space

In Grimsby, the gap is the most pronounced in the country and starkly obvious. The wall transcends being just a symbolic divide; it causes tangible problems for daily routines.

• The school commute that should take 15-20 minutes turn into an hour-long journey.
• Reaching important services like grocery stores, educational facilities and employment centres is made more difficult.
• The area can attract antisocial behaviour, with instances of litter being dumped over the wall and related issues.

“People strive to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one local, motioning at the rusted barricade.

Local Bonds Amidst Hardship

At Centre4, staff stress that need does not recognise postcodes. “Your postcode is not a reliable indicator of your personal struggles,” explained chief executive a community leader.

Despite ranking in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe retains a strong sense and sense of community among its inhabitants. By contrast, Scartho ranks among the most prosperous 10% nationally.

A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent

This phenomenon is repeated across the country. The Stanhope estate in Kent, a mid-century housing development, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of areas in England. It is closely bordered by large detached homes built in the 2000s that sit in the wealthiest tenth for employment and quality of surroundings.

“They may possess bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” said a long-term resident, aged 63. “You’ll probably find many people in the new builds never even talk to each other.”

The economic divide is evident: an typical family home sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while on the other side comparable properties fetch about £410,000.

Locals describe a palpable feeling of neglect. “Our neighbourhood gets ignored,” said holistic health worker Susan. “In this area our facilities have slowly been taken away, and most of the issues we face here are related to poverty.”

The rise in these ‘inequality borders’ paints a picture of an ever more segregated society, where wealth and deprivation are frequently awkwardly close neighbours.