A Rising ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: How Prosperity and Deprivation Are Found Cheek by Jowl in Across England.

In a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents live in properties just a few metres from their more affluent counterparts in the adjacent Scartho village. One six-foot-tall barricade literally separates the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, sealing off roads and walkways that previously linked 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 don’t think they’ll want to mix with us.”

A Stark National Picture

Data from government figures reveals the extent of disparity often exists, at times over nothing more than a short distance of asphalt, a hedge row or a barrier. Years of austerity and lack of funding mean a majority of local authorities now contain a locality classified as one of the most deprived in the nation.

This spread of deprivation has led to a significant increase in the number of locations where deprived and affluent residents find themselves as immediate neighbours. In 2019, just 65 of the most deprived areas bordered one of the wealthiest. That figure rose to 119 in the latest data.

A Barrier Which Divides More Than Space

In Grimsby, the divide is the biggest in the country and starkly apparent. The wall transcends being just a symbolic division; it causes very real difficulties for daily routines.

• The school commute that should take 15-20 minutes turn into an sixty-minute journey.
• Reaching important amenities like grocery stores, educational facilities and care homes is made more difficult.
• The site can attract vandalism and loitering, with reports of rubbish being thrown over the wall and related problems.

“People strive to maintain a well-kept home and garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one local, motioning at the corroded barricade.

Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Hardship

Within Centre4, workers emphasise that support does not recognise addresses. “Your postcode is not a reliable indicator of your personal struggles,” explained chief executive Tracey Good.

Regardless of being placed in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe boasts a fierce loyalty and sense of community among its residents. By contrast, the neighbouring area is classified among the least deprived 10% overall.

A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent

This phenomenon is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century housing development, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of areas in England. It is immediately adjacent by large houses built in the early 2000s that sit in the top 10% for employment and living environment.

“They may possess bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented Phil Hockley, 63. “You’ll probably find many people over there don’t even speak to each other.”

The economic gap is evident: 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.

Locals speak of a palpable sense of neglect. “This part of the community is neglected,” said holistic health worker 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’ presents a picture of an increasingly divided England, where wealth and need are often uncomfortably in close proximity.