A Rising ‘Wealth-Poverty Gap’: How Affluence and Deprivation Now Sit Cheek by Jowl in Across England.

In Nunsthorpe, residents live in homes only a few metres from their more affluent counterparts in nearby Scartho village. One six-foot-tall barricade physically divides the two communities in the town of Grimsby, sealing off roads and walkways that previously linked them.

“This is 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 suspect they’ll want to mix with us.”

An Increasingly Common National Picture

Data from official figures shows the extent of inequality often exists, at times across nothing more than a few metres of asphalt, a line of hedges or a barrier. Decades of austerity and underinvestment have led to a situation where a majority of local authorities now have a locality ranking as one of the poorest in the nation.

The spread of deprivation has coincided with a sharp increase in the quantity of places where disadvantaged and well-off people find themselves living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the most deprived neighbourhoods adjoined one of the least deprived. That figure rose to 119 in the latest data.

A Wall That Divides More Than Space

At this Lincolnshire site, the gap is the biggest in the country and painfully apparent. The wall is much more than a symbolic divide; it creates tangible difficulties for everyday life.

• School runs that ought to take a quarter of an hour become an hour-long detour.
• Reaching important amenities like supermarkets, schools and care homes is hindered.
• The area can attract vandalism and loitering, with instances of rubbish being dumped over the wall and other problems.

“People strive to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one local, gesturing towards the rusted metal wall.

Community Spirit Against a Backdrop of Hardship

At a local community centre, workers emphasise that support transcends postcodes. “Your postcode doesn’t necessarily indicate your personal struggles,” said director Tracey Good.

Regardless of being placed in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe boasts a fierce loyalty and sense of togetherness among its residents. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area ranks among the least deprived 10% nationally.

Echoes Elsewhere: Stanhope in Ashford

This pattern is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope area 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 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 Phil Hockley, aged 63. “It’s likely many people over there don’t even speak to each other.”

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

Locals speak of a tangible feeling of neglect. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” said resident Susan. “Over here our amenities have gradually disappeared, and most of the issues we face here are to do with financial hardship.”

The increase in these ‘inequality borders’ presents a portrait of an ever more divided England, where prosperity and need are frequently uncomfortably in close proximity.