A Growing ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: The Way Affluence and Deprivation Are Found Side by Side in Across England.
Within a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents occupy homes just a few metres from their more affluent neighbours in the adjacent Scartho. A 1.8-metre-high barricade literally divides the two areas in the town of Grimsby, sealing off paths and streets that once linked them.
“It’s the posh-poor divide,” said a resident, 37. “It’s been like this since I’ve known. I doubt they’ll take it down because I suspect they’ll want to mix with us.”
A Stark Pattern Across the Country
Data from official figures shows the extent of disparity often exists, at times over little more than a short distance of asphalt, a line of hedges or a wall. Years of austerity and lack of funding mean a majority of local authorities now have a locality classified as one of the poorest in the country.
The spread of deprivation has led to a sharp rise in the number of locations where disadvantaged and well-off people find themselves living side by side. In 2019, just 65 of the most deprived neighbourhoods adjoined one of the wealthiest. This number rose to 119 in the latest data.
A Barrier Which Does More Than Separate Space
In Grimsby, the divide is the most pronounced in the UK and starkly obvious. The wall is much more than a metaphorical divide; it causes tangible difficulties for daily routines.
- School runs that ought to take a quarter of an hour become an sixty-minute journey.
- Access to important amenities like supermarkets, schools and care homes is hindered.
- The area often sees antisocial behaviour, with reports of rubbish being dumped over the wall and related issues.
“You try to maintain a well-kept home and garden, and then you live opposite that,” noted one resident, gesturing towards the corroded barricade.
Community Spirit Against a Backdrop of Challenges
At Centre4, staff stress that support does not recognise postcodes. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” said chief executive Tracey Good.
Regardless of being placed in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe retains a fierce loyalty and sense of togetherness among its residents. Meanwhile, Scartho ranks among the most prosperous 10% overall.
A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford
This phenomenon is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope estate 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 top 10% for employment and living environment.
“They might have bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented a long-term resident, aged 63. “You’ll probably find a lot of people in the new builds never even talk to each other.”
The economic divide is evident: an typical three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the estate, while on the other side equivalent homes fetch about £410,000.
Locals describe a tangible sense of being overlooked. “This part of the community is neglected,” said resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “Over here our amenities have gradually disappeared, and the majority of the issues we face here are related to poverty.”
The rise in these ‘inequality borders’ paints a portrait of an increasingly segregated society, where wealth and need are frequently uncomfortably close neighbours.
