A Growing ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: How Prosperity and Deprivation Are Found Side by Side in England.

Within a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents occupy properties only a few metres from their wealthier neighbours in nearby Scartho village. A six-foot-tall wall literally divides the two communities in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, blocking off roads and walkways that previously connected them.

“It’s the posh-poor divide,” said a resident, 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I doubt they’ll bring it down because I don’t think they’ll want to associate with us.”

A Stark Pattern Across the Country

Data from government figures shows the extent of inequality can run, at times over nothing more than a few metres of asphalt, a line of hedges or a barrier. Years of budget cuts and underinvestment have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of councils now contain a locality ranking as one of the poorest in the nation.

This spread of deprivation has led to a sharp rise in the number of places where deprived and well-off people find themselves living side by side. In 2019, just 65 of the most deprived neighbourhoods bordered one of the wealthiest. That figure rose to 119 in the latest data.

A Wall That Does More Than Separate Space

In Grimsby, the divide is the biggest in the country and starkly apparent. The wall is much more than a symbolic division; it causes very real problems for everyday life.

• The school commute that ought to take a quarter of an hour become an sixty-minute journey.
• Reaching important amenities like supermarkets, schools and employment centres is hindered.
• The area can attract antisocial behaviour, with instances of litter being thrown over the wall and related problems.

“People strive to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you live opposite that,” noted one local, motioning at the rusted barricade.

Community Spirit Amidst Hardship

At a local community centre, staff emphasise that need transcends postcodes. “Your postcode is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” said director Tracey Good.

Regardless of ranking in the lowest 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe boasts a strong sense and sense of community among its residents. By contrast, Scartho ranks among the most prosperous 10% nationally.

A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford

This pattern is repeated across the country. The Stanhope estate in Kent, a 1960s housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in England. It is closely bordered by large houses built in the early 2000s that are in the wealthiest tenth for employment and living environment.

“They might have larger properties, but here there’s more community,” said a long-term resident, 63. “It’s likely many people in the new builds never even talk to each other.”

The financial gap is evident: an typical three-bedroom house costs about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide equivalent homes go for about £410,000.

Residents describe a palpable feeling of being overlooked. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” stated holistic health worker Susan. “In this area our facilities have gradually disappeared, and the majority of the community problems here are to do with financial hardship.”

The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a picture of an ever more segregated England, where wealth and need are often awkwardly close neighbours.