A Growing ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: How Affluence and Deprivation Are Found Cheek by Jowl in England.
In a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents occupy homes only several yards from their more affluent counterparts in the adjacent Scartho village. One 1.8-metre-high wall physically separates the two areas in the town of Grimsby, sealing off roads and walkways that previously linked them.
“It’s the posh-poor divide,” remarked a resident, 37. “It’s been like this since I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll take it down because I don’t think they’ll want to associate with us.”
An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country
Analysis of government figures reveals the extent of inequality can run, sometimes over little more than a short distance of tarmac, a line of hedges or a wall. Decades of budget cuts and underinvestment mean almost two-thirds of local authorities now have a locality classified as one of the most deprived in the nation.
This spread of poverty has led to a significant rise in the number of places where deprived and affluent people find themselves as immediate neighbours. Just a few years ago, only 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods bordered one of the wealthiest. This number rose to 119 in the latest data.
A Wall That Does More Than Separate Land
At this Lincolnshire site, the divide is the most pronounced in the country and painfully apparent. The barrier is much more than a symbolic divide; it creates very real problems for everyday life.
- The school commute that should take a quarter of an hour become an hour-long detour.
- Access to key services like grocery stores, educational facilities and employment centres is made more difficult.
- The area often sees vandalism and loitering, with instances of rubbish being dumped over the wall and other issues.
“People strive to have a well-kept home and garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one resident, gesturing towards the corroded metal wall.
Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Challenges
At a local community centre, staff emphasise that support does not recognise addresses. “Your postcode doesn’t necessarily indicate your level of challenge,” said director a community leader.
Regardless of ranking in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe boasts a fierce loyalty and sense of togetherness among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, 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 housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in the country. It is closely bordered by large houses built in the 2000s that are in the top 10% for job prospects and quality of surroundings.
“They may possess larger properties, but here there’s more community,” said Phil Hockley, aged 63. “It’s likely a lot of people in the new builds don’t even speak to each other.”
The economic divide is clear: an typical family home sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide comparable homes fetch about £410,000.
Locals speak of a tangible sense of being overlooked. “This part of the community gets ignored,” stated resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our amenities have gradually disappeared, and most of the issues we face here are related to poverty.”
The increase in these ‘deprivation divides’ paints a picture of an ever more segregated society, where prosperity and need are frequently awkwardly close neighbours.