The Rising ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: The Way Affluence and Deprivation Now Sit Side by Side in Across England.
Within a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents live in homes just several yards from their wealthier counterparts in nearby Scartho. A six-foot-tall wall literally separates the two communities in the town of Grimsby, sealing off roads and walkways that previously connected them.
“It’s the divide between rich and poor,” said a resident, 37. “It has been there for as long as I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll take it down because I suspect they’ll want to associate with us.”
An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country
Analysis of government figures shows the extent of disparity often exists, at times over nothing more than a short distance of asphalt, a line of hedges or a barrier. Years of budget cuts and lack of funding mean a majority of councils now have a locality ranking as one of the poorest in the country.
This spread of poverty has coincided with a sharp rise in the number of locations where deprived and affluent people end up living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the most deprived areas adjoined one of the wealthiest. That figure increased to 119 in the latest data.
A Barrier Which Divides More Than Space
At this Lincolnshire site, the gap is the biggest in the country and starkly apparent. The barrier is much more than a metaphorical divide; it creates very real difficulties for daily routines.
- The school commute that should take 15-20 minutes turn into an hour-long detour.
- Access to important services like supermarkets, schools and employment centres is hindered.
- The site can attract antisocial behaviour, with instances of rubbish being dumped over the wall and other problems.
“People strive to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one resident, gesturing towards the rusted metal wall.
Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Challenges
Within Centre4, workers stress that need does not recognise postcodes. “Your postcode doesn’t necessarily indicate your level of challenge,” explained director Tracey Good.
Regardless of ranking in the lowest 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe boasts a fierce loyalty and feeling of togetherness among its residents. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area ranks among the least deprived 10% nationally.
A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford
This phenomenon is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope estate in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century housing development, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of areas in the country. It is closely bordered by spacious detached homes built in the early 2000s that are in the top 10% for employment and living environment.
“They may possess 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 financial gap is clear: an average family home sells for about £275,000 on the estate, while on the other side comparable properties go for about £410,000.
Locals describe a palpable feeling of being overlooked. “This part of the community is neglected,” stated holistic health worker Susan. “In this area our facilities have slowly been taken away, and the majority of the community problems here are related to poverty.”
The increase in these ‘deprivation divides’ paints a picture of an increasingly segregated society, where prosperity and deprivation are often awkwardly close neighbours.
