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

Within Nunsthorpe, residents occupy homes just a few metres from their more affluent neighbours in nearby Scartho village. A six-foot-tall wall physically divides the two communities in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, sealing off paths and streets that once connected them.

“It’s the posh-poor divide,” said a resident, 37. “It’s been like this for as long as I’ve known. I doubt they’ll take it down because I don’t think they’ll want to associate with us.”

An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country

Data from government figures shows the extent of inequality can run, at times across little more than a short distance of tarmac, a hedge row or a wall. Years of budget cuts and lack of funding mean almost two-thirds of councils now contain a locality classified as one of the most deprived in the country.

This spread of poverty has led to a sharp increase in the number of places where disadvantaged and well-off residents find themselves as immediate neighbours. In 2019, only 65 of the most deprived neighbourhoods 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 UK and starkly obvious. The barrier is much more than a symbolic division; it causes tangible problems for everyday life.

• The school commute that ought to take 15-20 minutes become an hour-long journey.
• Reaching important services like grocery stores, schools and care homes is hindered.
• The area can attract antisocial behaviour, with reports of litter being dumped over the wall and related problems.

“You try to have a well-kept home and garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one resident, motioning at the corroded barricade.

Community Spirit Amidst Hardship

At Centre4, workers emphasise that support transcends addresses. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your personal struggles,” explained chief executive a community leader.

Regardless of ranking in the most deprived 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, the estate retains a strong sense and sense of togetherness among its residents. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area is classified among the most prosperous 10% overall.

Echoes Elsewhere: An Estate in Kent

This phenomenon is repeated nationally. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in the country. It is immediately adjacent by spacious detached homes built in the 2000s that are in the top 10% for job prospects and quality of surroundings.

“They might have larger properties, but here there’s more community,” said Phil Hockley, 63. “It’s likely a lot of people over there don’t even speak to each other.”

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

Residents describe a tangible sense of neglect. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” stated resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our facilities have slowly been taken away, and most of the issues we face here are related to financial hardship.”

The rise in these ‘inequality borders’ paints a picture of an increasingly divided society, where wealth and deprivation are often awkwardly in close proximity.