A Growing ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: How Affluence and Hardship Now Sit Side by Side in England.

In Nunsthorpe, inhabitants occupy properties just a few metres from their more affluent neighbours in nearby Scartho. One six-foot-tall barricade literally divides the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, sealing off paths and streets that previously connected them.

“This is the divide between rich and poor,” remarked a resident, 37. “It’s been like this since I’ve known. I doubt they’ll bring it down because I suspect they’ll want to associate with us.”

A Stark National Picture

Data from government figures shows the extent of inequality can run, at times over little more than a few metres of tarmac, a hedge row or a barrier. Years of austerity and underinvestment have led to a situation where a majority of local authorities now have a locality ranking as one of the most deprived in the country.

This geographical widening of deprivation has coincided with a significant rise in the number of locations where disadvantaged and affluent residents find themselves 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 latest data.

A Barrier Which Does More Than Separate Land

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

• The school commute that ought to take 15-20 minutes become an sixty-minute journey.
• Access to key amenities like grocery stores, schools and employment centres is hindered.
• The area can attract vandalism and loitering, with reports of litter being dumped over the wall and other problems.

“You try to maintain a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one local, gesturing towards the rusted metal wall.

Community Spirit Against a Backdrop of Challenges

Within a local community centre, workers emphasise that support does not recognise addresses. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your personal struggles,” explained director a community leader.

Despite ranking in the lowest 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, the estate boasts a strong sense and feeling of togetherness among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area is classified among the least deprived 10% nationally.

A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent

This pattern is repeated across the country. The Stanhope area in Kent, a mid-century overspill estate, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of neighbourhoods in the country. It is immediately adjacent by spacious detached homes built in the early 2000s that are in the wealthiest tenth for job prospects and living environment.

“They might have bigger houses, but here there’s more community,” said Phil Hockley, 63. “It’s likely a lot of people in the new builds never even talk to each other.”

The financial divide is clear: an average family home costs about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide equivalent properties go for about £410,000.

Residents speak of a palpable feeling of neglect. “This part of the community gets ignored,” stated resident Susan. “In this area our facilities have slowly been taken away, and most of the community problems here are to do with financial hardship.”

The increase in these ‘inequality borders’ presents a portrait of an ever more segregated England, where wealth and deprivation are frequently awkwardly in close proximity.