The Growing ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: How Prosperity and Deprivation Are Found Cheek by Jowl in England.

Within Nunsthorpe, residents occupy homes just a few metres from their more affluent neighbours in the adjacent Scartho. A 1.8-metre-high barricade physically separates the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, blocking off roads and walkways that once linked them.

“This is the posh-poor divide,” remarked a resident, 37. “It has been there for as long as I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll bring it down because I don’t think they’ll want to mix with us.”

A Stark Pattern Across the Country

Data from government statistics reveals how deep disparity often exists, sometimes over nothing more than a few metres of asphalt, a line of hedges or a barrier. Decades of budget cuts and lack of funding have led to a situation where a majority of councils now contain a neighbourhood classified as one of the most deprived in the nation.

This geographical widening of poverty has coincided with a sharp increase in the quantity of places where deprived and well-off people find themselves living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the most deprived areas adjoined one of the least deprived. This number rose to 119 in the most recent data.

A Barrier Which Divides More Than Land

At this Lincolnshire site, the divide is the most pronounced in the country and starkly obvious. The barrier transcends being just a metaphorical division; it creates very real difficulties for everyday life.

• The school commute that ought to take 15-20 minutes turn into an sixty-minute journey.
• Reaching important services like supermarkets, educational facilities and employment centres is made more difficult.
• The site often sees antisocial behaviour, with instances of rubbish being thrown over the wall and related problems.

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

Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Challenges

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

Despite ranking in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe boasts a fierce loyalty and sense of community among its residents. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area is classified among the least deprived 10% nationally.

A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford

This pattern is repeated 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 closely bordered by spacious 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 a stronger community,” commented Phil Hockley, aged 63. “It’s likely many people in the new builds don’t even speak to each other.”

The economic gap is evident: an typical family home sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide comparable properties go for about £410,000.

Locals describe a palpable sense of being overlooked. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” stated resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “Over here our facilities have slowly been taken away, and most of the issues we face here are related to poverty.”

The increase in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a picture of an increasingly segregated England, where prosperity and deprivation are frequently uncomfortably close neighbours.