A Rising ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: How Affluence and Deprivation Are Found Cheek by Jowl in Across England.
In Nunsthorpe, inhabitants live in homes just a few metres from their wealthier neighbours in the adjacent Scartho village. One 1.8-metre-high wall physically divides the two areas in the town of Grimsby, blocking off roads and walkways that once connected them.
“This is the posh-poor divide,” remarked Serenity Colley, 37. “It’s been like this since I’ve known. I doubt they’ll take it down because I suspect they’ll want to mix with us.”
A Stark Pattern Across the Country
Data from official statistics shows how deep disparity often exists, sometimes over little more than a short distance of asphalt, a hedge row or a barrier. Years of budget cuts and underinvestment mean a majority of councils now have a neighbourhood ranking as one of the poorest in the nation.
This geographical widening of poverty has led to a sharp increase in the quantity of locations where deprived and well-off residents find themselves living side by side. In 2019, just 65 of the most deprived neighbourhoods bordered one of the wealthiest. That figure increased to 119 in the latest data.
A Barrier Which Divides More Than Land
At this Lincolnshire site, the divide is the biggest in the UK and starkly apparent. The wall transcends being just a symbolic divide; it causes tangible difficulties for daily routines.
- School runs that should take 15-20 minutes turn into an hour-long detour.
- Reaching key services like supermarkets, schools and employment centres is hindered.
- The site can attract antisocial behaviour, with instances of rubbish being thrown 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, motioning at the corroded metal wall.
Community Spirit Against a Backdrop of Hardship
Within Centre4, staff emphasise that support transcends postcodes. “Your postcode is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” explained director Tracey Good.
Regardless of being placed in the lowest 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe boasts a fierce loyalty and feeling of togetherness among its residents. By contrast, the neighbouring area is classified among the least deprived 10% overall.
A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford
This phenomenon is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope estate in Ashford, Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of areas in England. It is closely bordered by spacious detached homes built in the 2000s that sit in the wealthiest tenth for employment and living environment.
“They may possess larger properties, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented a long-term resident, 63. “It’s likely many people over there never even talk to each other.”
The financial divide is clear: an typical family home sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while on the other side equivalent properties go for about £410,000.
Residents describe a tangible sense of being overlooked. “This part of the community gets ignored,” stated holistic health worker Susan Riley-Nevers. “Over here our facilities have gradually disappeared, and most of the issues we face here are to do with financial hardship.”
The increase in these ‘deprivation divides’ paints a picture of an increasingly segregated England, where wealth and deprivation are often uncomfortably in close proximity.