New data reveals a sharp rise in neighbourhoods across England where extreme wealth and deprivation exist side by side, often separated by just a few metres of asphalt, a hedge, or a wall. The analysis, based on figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, shows that 119 of the most deprived areas now border the least deprived, up from 65 in 2019.
In Grimsby, Lincolnshire, a 1.8-metre-high barricade physically divides the Nunsthorpe estate from the more affluent Scartho area. Residents say the wall forces detours that turn short journeys into 25-minute walks. 'It's the posh-poor divide,' said Serenity Colley, 37, who lives on the estate. 'I don't think they'll bring it down because I don't think they'll want to mix with us.'
The increase in such divides is partly attributed to new-build housing estates placed next to existing social housing, as well as updated data that factors in high housing costs. Dr Mark Fransham of the University of Oxford noted that this change can reveal more deprived areas near affluent ones. The majority of these 'deprivation divides' are in northern England, though new faultlines have emerged in London and the south.
Nearly two-thirds of councils now contain a neighbourhood ranked among the most deprived in the country, compared with just under half in 2004. The wall in Grimsby not only symbolises inequality but also creates practical barriers, lengthening journeys to shops, schools, and workplaces. Residents report antisocial behaviour around the wall, including drug deals and littering.
On the affluent side, residents appeared unaware or reluctant to discuss the divide. Tracey Good, chief executive of the Centre4 community centre in Nunsthorpe, stressed that postcode does not determine hardship: 'You can struggle financially even if you live in a nice house.'
