🔗 Share this article A Rising ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: How Prosperity and Deprivation Are Found Side by Side in Across England. Within Nunsthorpe, inhabitants occupy homes only a few metres from their wealthier counterparts in nearby Scartho. One six-foot-tall 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,” remarked Serenity Colley, 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.” An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country Data from government figures shows how deep disparity often exists, sometimes over nothing more than a short distance of asphalt, a line of hedges or a wall. Decades of austerity and lack of funding have led to a situation where a majority of local authorities now contain a neighbourhood ranking as one of the most deprived in the nation. The geographical widening of deprivation has led to a sharp rise in the number of locations where deprived and affluent residents end up living side by side. In 2019, just 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods bordered one of the wealthiest. This number rose to 119 in the most recent data. A Wall That Divides More Than Land At this Lincolnshire site, the gap is the biggest in the country and starkly obvious. The barrier transcends being just a metaphorical division; it causes very real difficulties for daily routines. The school commute that should take 15-20 minutes become an hour-long detour. Reaching key services like supermarkets, schools and care homes is made more difficult. The site can attract vandalism and loitering, with reports of rubbish being dumped over the wall and other issues. “People strive to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one local, motioning at the rusted metal wall. Community Spirit Amidst Challenges At Centre4, staff emphasise that need does not recognise postcodes. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” explained director a community leader. Regardless of ranking in the lowest 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, the estate retains a fierce loyalty and sense of community among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area is classified among the least deprived 10% overall. A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent This phenomenon is repeated nationally. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in the country. It is immediately adjacent by large houses built in the early 2000s that sit in the wealthiest tenth for employment and living environment. “They might have larger properties, but here there’s a stronger community,” said Phil Hockley, aged 63. “It’s likely a lot of people over there don’t even speak to each other.” The economic divide is clear: an typical three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while on the other side equivalent homes fetch about £410,000. Residents speak of a palpable feeling of neglect. “This part of the community is neglected,” said holistic health worker Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our facilities have gradually disappeared, and most of the issues we face here are to do with financial hardship.” The increase in these ‘inequality borders’ presents a portrait of an increasingly divided England, where prosperity and need are frequently uncomfortably close neighbours.
Within Nunsthorpe, inhabitants occupy homes only a few metres from their wealthier counterparts in nearby Scartho. One six-foot-tall 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,” remarked Serenity Colley, 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.” An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country Data from government figures shows how deep disparity often exists, sometimes over nothing more than a short distance of asphalt, a line of hedges or a wall. Decades of austerity and lack of funding have led to a situation where a majority of local authorities now contain a neighbourhood ranking as one of the most deprived in the nation. The geographical widening of deprivation has led to a sharp rise in the number of locations where deprived and affluent residents end up living side by side. In 2019, just 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods bordered one of the wealthiest. This number rose to 119 in the most recent data. A Wall That Divides More Than Land At this Lincolnshire site, the gap is the biggest in the country and starkly obvious. The barrier transcends being just a metaphorical division; it causes very real difficulties for daily routines. The school commute that should take 15-20 minutes become an hour-long detour. Reaching key services like supermarkets, schools and care homes is made more difficult. The site can attract vandalism and loitering, with reports of rubbish being dumped over the wall and other issues. “People strive to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one local, motioning at the rusted metal wall. Community Spirit Amidst Challenges At Centre4, staff emphasise that need does not recognise postcodes. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” explained director a community leader. Regardless of ranking in the lowest 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, the estate retains a fierce loyalty and sense of community among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area is classified among the least deprived 10% overall. A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent This phenomenon is repeated nationally. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in the country. It is immediately adjacent by large houses built in the early 2000s that sit in the wealthiest tenth for employment and living environment. “They might have larger properties, but here there’s a stronger community,” said Phil Hockley, aged 63. “It’s likely a lot of people over there don’t even speak to each other.” The economic divide is clear: an typical three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while on the other side equivalent homes fetch about £410,000. Residents speak of a palpable feeling of neglect. “This part of the community is neglected,” said holistic health worker Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our facilities have gradually disappeared, and most of the issues we face here are to do with financial hardship.” The increase in these ‘inequality borders’ presents a portrait of an increasingly divided England, where prosperity and need are frequently uncomfortably close neighbours.