The Rising ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: How Prosperity and Deprivation Now Sit Cheek by Jowl in England.

In a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, inhabitants occupy properties just a few metres from their wealthier neighbours in the adjacent Scartho. A 1.8-metre-high barricade literally divides the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, blocking off roads and walkways that once linked them.

“It’s the posh-poor divide,” said a resident, aged 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I doubt they’ll take it down because I suspect they’ll want to associate with us.”

A Stark National Picture

Analysis of government figures shows how deep inequality often exists, at times over little more than a short distance of tarmac, a line of hedges or a wall. Years of budget cuts and lack of funding mean a majority of local authorities now have a locality ranking as one of the poorest in the nation.

This geographical widening of poverty has led to a significant rise in the number of locations where deprived and affluent people find themselves as immediate neighbours. In 2019, just 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods adjoined one of the least deprived. This number increased to 119 in the latest data.

A Barrier Which Divides More Than Land

In Grimsby, the divide is the biggest in the country and painfully apparent. The barrier transcends being just a symbolic divide; it causes very real problems for everyday life.

• The school commute that ought to take a quarter of an hour turn into an sixty-minute journey.
• Access to important amenities like supermarkets, schools and care homes is hindered.
• The site can attract antisocial behaviour, with instances of litter being thrown over the wall and related problems.

“You try to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one local, motioning at the corroded barricade.

Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Challenges

At a local community centre, workers emphasise that support transcends postcodes. “Your postcode doesn’t necessarily indicate your level of challenge,” said director a community leader.

Regardless of ranking in the lowest 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, Nunsthorpe boasts a strong sense and sense of community among its residents. Meanwhile, Scartho ranks among the most prosperous 10% overall.

A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford

This phenomenon is repeated nationally. The Stanhope area in Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of neighbourhoods in the country. It is closely bordered by spacious detached homes built in the 2000s that sit in the top 10% for employment and quality of surroundings.

“They might have bigger houses, but here there’s more community,” said a long-term resident, 63. “It’s likely a lot of people over there never even talk to each other.”

The economic gap is evident: an average family home costs about £275,000 on the estate, while across the divide comparable properties go for about £410,000.

Locals describe a tangible feeling of neglect. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” stated resident Susan. “Over here our facilities have gradually disappeared, and the majority of the community problems here are related to poverty.”

The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a picture of an increasingly divided society, where wealth and deprivation are often uncomfortably in close proximity.