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

In a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, inhabitants live in homes only a few metres from their wealthier counterparts in the adjacent Scartho. A six-foot-tall barricade physically divides the two areas in the town of Grimsby, sealing off paths and streets that previously connected them.

“It’s the divide between rich and poor,” said a resident, aged 37. “It has been there for as long as I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll take it down because I suspect they’ll want to mix with us.”

An Increasingly Common National Picture

Data from official figures reveals the extent of disparity often exists, at times over nothing more than a short distance of tarmac, a hedge row or a wall. Decades of austerity and lack of funding mean a majority of local authorities now have a neighbourhood classified as one of the poorest in the nation.

The geographical widening of poverty has coincided with a significant increase in the quantity of places where deprived and well-off people end up as immediate neighbours. In 2019, just 65 of the most deprived neighbourhoods adjoined one of the wealthiest. This number increased to 119 in the latest data.

A Barrier Which Divides More Than Land

In Grimsby, the divide is the biggest in the UK and starkly obvious. The barrier transcends being just a metaphorical divide; it creates very real difficulties for everyday life.

• The school commute that ought to take 15-20 minutes turn into an hour-long detour.
• Reaching key amenities like grocery stores, educational facilities and care homes is hindered.
• The site can attract antisocial behaviour, with instances of litter being thrown over the wall and other issues.

“People strive to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one resident, motioning at the corroded metal wall.

Community Spirit Against a Backdrop of Hardship

At Centre4, workers stress that support transcends postcodes. “Your postcode doesn’t necessarily indicate your personal struggles,” said chief executive Tracey Good.

Regardless of ranking in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, the estate boasts a fierce loyalty and sense of community among its inhabitants. By contrast, the neighbouring area ranks among the most prosperous 10% overall.

A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent

This phenomenon is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in the country. It is immediately adjacent by large houses built in the early 2000s that sit in the top 10% for job prospects and living environment.

“They may possess bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” said a long-term resident, 63. “It’s likely a lot of people in the new builds never even talk to each other.”

The economic gap is clear: an average family home costs about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while on the other side comparable properties fetch about £410,000.

Residents speak of a palpable feeling of being overlooked. “This part of the community gets ignored,” said resident Susan. “Over here our facilities have gradually disappeared, and most of the issues we face here are to do with poverty.”

The rise in these ‘inequality borders’ presents a portrait of an increasingly divided England, where prosperity and need are often awkwardly in close proximity.