In Nunsthorpe, residents live in homes just a few metres from their more affluent neighbours in the adjacent Scartho village. One six-foot-tall barricade physically divides the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, blocking off paths and streets that once connected them.
“This is the divide between rich and poor,” remarked a resident, aged 37. “It has been there for as long as I’ve known. I doubt they’ll bring it down because I suspect they’ll want to mix with us.”
Data from government figures shows the extent of disparity can run, at times across little more than a few metres of asphalt, a hedge row or a barrier. Decades of austerity and underinvestment have led to a situation where a majority of local authorities now contain a neighbourhood ranking as one of the most deprived in the country.
The spread of poverty has coincided with a significant rise in the quantity of places where disadvantaged and affluent residents end up living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the poorest areas bordered one of the wealthiest. This number rose to 119 in the most recent data.
At this Lincolnshire site, the divide is the most pronounced in the UK and painfully apparent. The barrier transcends being just a metaphorical division; it causes tangible problems for daily routines.
“You try to maintain a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one local, gesturing towards the rusted metal wall.
At a local community centre, workers emphasise that need does not recognise addresses. “Where you live doesn’t necessarily indicate your personal struggles,” said chief executive a community leader.
Despite being placed in the most deprived 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, Nunsthorpe retains a fierce loyalty and feeling of community among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area is classified among the most prosperous 10% nationally.
This phenomenon is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in the country. It is closely bordered by large houses built in the early 2000s that sit in the wealthiest tenth for employment and quality of surroundings.
“They may possess larger properties, but here there’s a stronger community,” said Phil Hockley, aged 63. “You’ll probably find many people in the new builds don’t even speak to each other.”
The financial divide is evident: an average three-bedroom house costs about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide comparable properties fetch about £410,000.
Residents describe a tangible sense of neglect. “This part of the community gets ignored,” said resident Susan. “Over here our facilities have slowly been taken away, and most of the community problems here are to do with financial hardship.”
The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a picture of an increasingly divided society, where prosperity and need are frequently uncomfortably in close proximity.
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