The Rising ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: The Way Affluence and Deprivation Are Found Side by Side in England.

In Nunsthorpe, residents live in properties just a few metres from their more affluent counterparts in nearby Scartho. One 1.8-metre-high wall literally separates the two communities in the town of Grimsby, sealing off paths and streets that previously connected them.

“It’s the divide between rich and poor,” said Serenity Colley, 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I doubt they’ll take it down because I don’t think they’ll want to mix with us.”

A Stark National Picture

Data from government figures reveals how deep inequality can run, at times over nothing more than a short distance of tarmac, a line of hedges or a wall. Years of austerity and lack of funding have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of local authorities now have a neighbourhood ranking as one of the most deprived in the nation.

This geographical widening of deprivation has led to a significant increase in the number of places where deprived and well-off residents end up living side by side. Just a few years ago, only 65 of the poorest areas adjoined one of the wealthiest. That figure rose to 119 in the most recent data.

A Barrier Which Does More Than Separate Space

In Grimsby, the divide is the biggest in the UK and painfully obvious. The barrier is much more than a metaphorical divide; it causes very real difficulties for daily routines.

• School runs that should take 15-20 minutes turn into an sixty-minute journey.
• Access to key services like grocery stores, educational facilities and employment centres is hindered.
• The area can attract antisocial behaviour, with instances of rubbish being dumped over the wall and other issues.

“You try to have a well-kept home and garden, and then you live opposite that,” said one local, motioning at the rusted metal wall.

Community Spirit Amidst Hardship

Within Centre4, staff stress that support does not recognise addresses. “Your postcode doesn’t necessarily indicate your personal struggles,” said chief executive a community leader.

Despite ranking in the lowest 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, the estate retains a fierce loyalty and sense of togetherness among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area ranks among the least deprived 10% nationally.

A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent

This phenomenon is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope estate in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in the country. It is immediately adjacent by large detached homes built in the 2000s that sit in the wealthiest tenth for employment and living environment.

“They may possess bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented a long-term resident, aged 63. “You’ll probably find many people in the new builds don’t even speak to each other.”

The economic gap is evident: an typical three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the estate, while on the other side equivalent properties go for about £410,000.

Residents speak of a palpable sense of neglect. “This part of the community is neglected,” stated holistic health worker Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our amenities have gradually disappeared, and the majority of the community problems here are to do with poverty.”

The increase in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a picture of an ever more divided society, where wealth and deprivation are frequently awkwardly close neighbours.