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

In Nunsthorpe, residents occupy homes only a few metres from their more affluent counterparts in nearby Scartho village. A 1.8-metre-high barricade physically divides the two communities in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, sealing off paths and streets that previously connected them.

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

An Increasingly Common National Picture

Analysis of government statistics reveals the extent of inequality can run, at times over little more than a few metres of asphalt, a hedge row or a wall. Years of austerity and lack of funding mean almost two-thirds of councils now contain a neighbourhood ranking as one of the most deprived in the country.

This spread of poverty has led to a sharp rise in the quantity of locations where deprived and well-off people find themselves as immediate neighbours. In 2019, only 65 of the most deprived neighbourhoods adjoined one of the least deprived. That figure increased to 119 in the latest data.

A Wall That Divides More Than Land

At this Lincolnshire site, the gap is the most pronounced in the country and starkly apparent. The wall transcends being just a metaphorical divide; it causes very real problems for everyday life.

• School runs that ought to take 15-20 minutes become an hour-long journey.
• Access to important services like grocery stores, schools and care homes is hindered.
• The area often sees antisocial behaviour, with reports of litter being thrown over the wall and related problems.

“You try to maintain a nice house and nice garden, and then you live opposite that,” noted one local, gesturing towards the rusted barricade.

Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Challenges

At Centre4, staff emphasise that need transcends addresses. “Where you live doesn’t necessarily indicate your level of challenge,” explained chief executive a community leader.

Regardless of being placed in the most deprived 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, the estate boasts a fierce loyalty and feeling of togetherness among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, Scartho is classified among the least deprived 10% nationally.

Echoes Elsewhere: Stanhope in Ashford

This phenomenon is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope estate in Ashford, Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in England. It is closely bordered by large detached homes built in the early 2000s that sit in the wealthiest tenth for employment and living environment.

“They might have bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented Phil Hockley, aged 63. “You’ll probably find many people in the new builds never even talk to each other.”

The financial divide is evident: an typical family home costs about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide comparable properties fetch about £410,000.

Residents describe a palpable feeling of being overlooked. “This part of the community is neglected,” said resident Susan. “Over here our amenities have slowly been taken away, and most of the issues we face here are related to poverty.”

The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ paints a portrait of an ever more divided England, where wealth and need are frequently awkwardly in close proximity.