🔗 Share this article A Rising ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: The Way Prosperity and Hardship Are Found Cheek by Jowl in Across England. Within Nunsthorpe, inhabitants live in properties just a few metres from their more affluent neighbours in nearby Scartho. A 1.8-metre-high wall literally separates the two communities in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, sealing off roads and walkways that previously connected them. “This is 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 don’t think they’ll want to associate with us.” A Stark Pattern Across the Country Analysis of official figures shows the extent of disparity often exists, sometimes over nothing more than a few metres of tarmac, a line of hedges or a barrier. Decades of austerity and lack of funding have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of councils now contain a neighbourhood classified as one of the poorest in the country. This geographical widening of deprivation has led to a sharp increase in the quantity of locations where deprived and well-off people find themselves as immediate neighbours. In 2019, only 65 of the most deprived neighbourhoods bordered one of the wealthiest. That figure increased to 119 in the most recent data. A Barrier Which Divides More Than Space In Grimsby, the gap is the biggest in the country and painfully apparent. The wall is much more than a symbolic division; it creates very real difficulties for everyday life. School runs that should take 15-20 minutes become an hour-long detour. Access to key services like supermarkets, schools and employment centres is hindered. The site can attract antisocial behaviour, with instances of litter being dumped over the wall and related problems. “You try to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you live opposite that,” said one resident, gesturing towards the corroded metal wall. Local Bonds Amidst Hardship Within a local community centre, staff emphasise that need transcends postcodes. “Your postcode doesn’t necessarily indicate your level of challenge,” said director Tracey Good. Despite being placed in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, the estate boasts a strong sense and feeling of togetherness among its inhabitants. By contrast, Scartho ranks among the most prosperous 10% nationally. A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford This pattern is repeated nationally. The Stanhope area in Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of neighbourhoods in England. It is immediately adjacent by spacious houses built in the early 2000s that are in the top 10% for job prospects and living environment. “They might have larger properties, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented Phil Hockley, 63. “It’s likely a lot of people over there never even talk to each other.” The economic divide is clear: an average three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide equivalent homes go for about £410,000. Residents speak of a tangible feeling of being overlooked. “This part of the community is neglected,” stated resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “Over here our facilities have gradually disappeared, and the majority of the community problems here are related to poverty.” The increase in these ‘inequality borders’ paints a picture of an ever more divided society, where prosperity and deprivation are often uncomfortably in close proximity.
Within Nunsthorpe, inhabitants live in properties just a few metres from their more affluent neighbours in nearby Scartho. A 1.8-metre-high wall literally separates the two communities in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, sealing off roads and walkways that previously connected them. “This is 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 don’t think they’ll want to associate with us.” A Stark Pattern Across the Country Analysis of official figures shows the extent of disparity often exists, sometimes over nothing more than a few metres of tarmac, a line of hedges or a barrier. Decades of austerity and lack of funding have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of councils now contain a neighbourhood classified as one of the poorest in the country. This geographical widening of deprivation has led to a sharp increase in the quantity of locations where deprived and well-off people find themselves as immediate neighbours. In 2019, only 65 of the most deprived neighbourhoods bordered one of the wealthiest. That figure increased to 119 in the most recent data. A Barrier Which Divides More Than Space In Grimsby, the gap is the biggest in the country and painfully apparent. The wall is much more than a symbolic division; it creates very real difficulties for everyday life. School runs that should take 15-20 minutes become an hour-long detour. Access to key services like supermarkets, schools and employment centres is hindered. The site can attract antisocial behaviour, with instances of litter being dumped over the wall and related problems. “You try to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you live opposite that,” said one resident, gesturing towards the corroded metal wall. Local Bonds Amidst Hardship Within a local community centre, staff emphasise that need transcends postcodes. “Your postcode doesn’t necessarily indicate your level of challenge,” said director Tracey Good. Despite being placed in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, the estate boasts a strong sense and feeling of togetherness among its inhabitants. By contrast, Scartho ranks among the most prosperous 10% nationally. A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford This pattern is repeated nationally. The Stanhope area in Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of neighbourhoods in England. It is immediately adjacent by spacious houses built in the early 2000s that are in the top 10% for job prospects and living environment. “They might have larger properties, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented Phil Hockley, 63. “It’s likely a lot of people over there never even talk to each other.” The economic divide is clear: an average three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide equivalent homes go for about £410,000. Residents speak of a tangible feeling of being overlooked. “This part of the community is neglected,” stated resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “Over here our facilities have gradually disappeared, and the majority of the community problems here are related to poverty.” The increase in these ‘inequality borders’ paints a picture of an ever more divided society, where prosperity and deprivation are often uncomfortably in close proximity.