A Rising ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: How Prosperity and Deprivation Now Sit Cheek by Jowl in England.
In Nunsthorpe, inhabitants occupy homes only a few metres from their more affluent neighbours in nearby Scartho village. One 1.8-metre-high wall literally divides the two communities in the town of Grimsby, sealing off roads and walkways that previously linked them.
“This is the posh-poor divide,” remarked Serenity Colley, aged 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll take it down because I suspect they’ll want to associate with us.”
A Stark National Picture
Analysis of official figures shows the extent of disparity can run, at times across nothing more than a few metres of asphalt, a hedge row or a wall. Years of austerity and underinvestment have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of councils now contain a locality ranking as one of the most deprived in the nation.
This spread of deprivation has coincided with a significant increase in the number of places where deprived and affluent residents find themselves living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the most deprived areas adjoined 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 UK and painfully obvious. The barrier transcends being just a symbolic division; it creates very real difficulties for daily routines.
- School runs that should take 15-20 minutes turn into an sixty-minute detour.
- Access to important services like grocery stores, educational facilities and care homes is hindered.
- The site can attract vandalism and loitering, with instances of litter being dumped over the wall and other issues.
“People strive to maintain a well-kept home and garden, and then you live opposite that,” said one resident, motioning at the rusted metal wall.
Community Spirit Against a Backdrop of Hardship
At a local community centre, workers emphasise that need transcends addresses. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your personal struggles,” said director Tracey Good.
Despite ranking in the most deprived 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, the estate retains a strong sense and sense of togetherness among its residents. Meanwhile, Scartho is classified among the least deprived 10% overall.
A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent
This phenomenon is mirrored nationally. The Stanhope estate in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century overspill estate, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of neighbourhoods in the country. It is closely bordered by large houses built in the early 2000s that are in the wealthiest tenth for job prospects and quality of surroundings.
“They might have larger properties, but here there’s more community,” said Phil Hockley, aged 63. “You’ll probably find a lot of people in the new builds never even talk to each other.”
The financial divide is evident: an average three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide equivalent properties fetch about £410,000.
Residents speak of a tangible sense of neglect. “This part of the community is neglected,” stated holistic health worker Susan. “In this area our amenities have gradually disappeared, and most of the community problems here are related to poverty.”
The increase in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a picture of an increasingly segregated England, where wealth and deprivation are frequently uncomfortably close neighbours.