A Rising ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: How Prosperity and Hardship Now Sit Side by Side in Across England.
Within Nunsthorpe, inhabitants live in properties only a few metres from their more affluent neighbours in the adjacent Scartho village. A 1.8-metre-high barricade literally separates the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, blocking off paths and streets that once linked them.
“It’s the posh-poor divide,” remarked Serenity Colley, aged 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I doubt they’ll bring it down because I suspect they’ll want to associate with us.”
A Stark Pattern Across the Country
Analysis of official figures shows how deep disparity often exists, at times across little more than a short distance of tarmac, a line of hedges or a wall. Years of austerity and lack of funding mean almost two-thirds of councils now contain a neighbourhood ranking as one of the poorest in the country.
The spread of poverty has led to a significant rise in the number of places where deprived and well-off residents end up living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods bordered one of the least deprived. This number 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 transcends being just a metaphorical divide; it creates very real problems for daily routines.
- School runs that ought to take 15-20 minutes become an hour-long journey.
- Access to key amenities like supermarkets, educational facilities and employment centres is hindered.
- The area often sees antisocial behaviour, with reports of litter being dumped over the wall and other issues.
“You try to have a well-kept home and garden, and then you live opposite that,” noted one local, motioning at the rusted metal wall.
Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Hardship
Within Centre4, workers stress that need does not recognise addresses. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your personal struggles,” explained chief executive a community leader.
Despite being placed in the lowest 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, the estate retains a strong sense and feeling of togetherness among its inhabitants. By contrast, Scartho is classified among the most prosperous 10% nationally.
A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent
This phenomenon is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope area in Kent, a mid-century housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in England. It is immediately adjacent by large houses built in the 2000s that are in the wealthiest tenth for job prospects and quality of surroundings.
“They might have bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented a long-term resident, aged 63. “It’s likely a lot of people in the new builds don’t even speak to each other.”
The economic gap is clear: an average three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the estate, while across the divide comparable homes fetch about £410,000.
Locals describe a tangible feeling of being overlooked. “This part of the community is neglected,” stated resident Susan. “In this area our facilities have slowly been taken away, and the majority of the issues we face here are related to financial hardship.”
The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ paints a portrait of an increasingly divided society, where prosperity and need are often awkwardly in close proximity.
