The Growing ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: How Prosperity and Deprivation Are Found Side by Side in Across England.
In a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents live in homes only several yards from their wealthier counterparts in nearby Scartho. A six-foot-tall barricade literally separates the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, sealing off paths and streets that previously linked them.
“It’s the posh-poor divide,” remarked Serenity Colley, aged 37. “It’s been like this for as long as I’ve known. I doubt they’ll take it down because I suspect they’ll want to mix with us.”
A Stark National Picture
Data from government figures reveals the extent of disparity often exists, sometimes across nothing more than a short distance of tarmac, a line of hedges or a wall. Years of budget cuts and underinvestment mean a majority of councils now have a neighbourhood classified as one of the poorest in the nation.
This geographical widening of poverty has led to a sharp increase in the quantity of places where disadvantaged and affluent residents end up living side by side. Just a few years ago, just 65 of the most deprived areas bordered one of the wealthiest. This number rose to 119 in the latest data.
A Barrier Which Divides More Than Land
At this Lincolnshire site, the divide is the biggest in the country and painfully apparent. The barrier transcends being just a symbolic division; it creates tangible difficulties for everyday life.
- School runs that should take a quarter of an hour become an hour-long detour.
- Access to important amenities like supermarkets, schools and employment centres is hindered.
- The site often sees antisocial behaviour, with reports of litter being dumped over the wall and related problems.
“You try to maintain a well-kept home and garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one local, motioning at the rusted barricade.
Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Hardship
Within Centre4, staff stress that support transcends 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 multiple deprivation indicators, the estate boasts a strong sense and feeling of community among its residents. Meanwhile, Scartho is classified among the most prosperous 10% overall.
A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford
This pattern is repeated nationally. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century housing development, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of areas in the country. It is closely bordered by spacious houses built in the 2000s that sit in the top 10% for job prospects and living environment.
“They may possess bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented a long-term resident, 63. “It’s likely 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 estate, while on the other side comparable properties go for about £410,000.
Residents describe a tangible sense of neglect. “This part of the community is neglected,” stated resident Susan. “In this area our facilities have slowly been taken away, and most of the community problems here are related to poverty.”
The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ paints a picture of an increasingly divided England, where prosperity and deprivation are often uncomfortably close neighbours.
