A Rising ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: How Affluence and Deprivation Are Found Cheek by Jowl in England.

In a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents live in properties only a few metres from their wealthier counterparts in nearby Scartho. A 1.8-metre-high wall physically divides the two areas in the town of Grimsby, blocking off paths and streets that once connected them.

“It’s the posh-poor divide,” remarked Serenity Colley, aged 37. “It’s been like this since 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

Analysis of official figures reveals how deep disparity can run, at times across little more than a few metres of asphalt, a hedge row or a wall. Decades of austerity and underinvestment mean a majority of local authorities now have a locality ranking as one of the poorest in the nation.

This spread of deprivation has led to a sharp increase in the quantity of locations where disadvantaged and well-off people find themselves as immediate neighbours. Just a few years ago, just 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods adjoined one of the wealthiest. 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 UK and painfully obvious. The wall transcends being just a metaphorical divide; it causes tangible difficulties for everyday life.

• The school commute that ought to take a quarter of an hour become an sixty-minute detour.
• Reaching important amenities like supermarkets, educational facilities and care homes is made more difficult.
• The area often sees antisocial behaviour, with instances of litter being thrown over the wall and related problems.

“People strive to maintain a well-kept home and garden, and then you live opposite that,” said one resident, motioning at the corroded metal wall.

Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Challenges

At Centre4, workers emphasise that need does not recognise postcodes. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” explained director a community leader.

Despite being placed in the lowest 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, Nunsthorpe boasts a fierce loyalty and feeling of community among its residents. By contrast, the neighbouring area ranks among the least deprived 10% overall.

A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent

This phenomenon is repeated across the country. The Stanhope estate in Ashford, Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of areas in the country. It is closely bordered by spacious detached homes built in the 2000s that are in the top 10% for job prospects and quality of surroundings.

“They may possess larger properties, but here there’s a stronger community,” said a long-term resident, 63. “It’s likely many people over there 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 homes go for about £410,000.

Residents speak of a tangible sense of being overlooked. “This part of the community is neglected,” said resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our facilities have gradually disappeared, and most of the community problems here are to do with poverty.”

The increase in these ‘inequality borders’ presents a picture of an ever more divided society, where wealth and need are often awkwardly close neighbours.