A Growing ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: How Affluence and Deprivation Are Found Side by Side in England.
In a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents live in properties just several yards from their more affluent neighbours in nearby Scartho. A six-foot-tall barricade literally divides the two communities in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, blocking off roads and walkways that previously connected them.
“It’s the posh-poor divide,” said a resident, 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I doubt they’ll take it down because I suspect they’ll want to mix with us.”
An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country
Analysis of government figures reveals the extent of inequality often exists, sometimes over nothing more than a few metres of asphalt, a hedge row or a wall. Years of budget cuts and underinvestment mean almost two-thirds of councils now contain a neighbourhood classified as one of the most deprived in the country.
This geographical widening of poverty has coincided with a significant rise in the number of locations where deprived and affluent people find themselves living side by side. Just a few years ago, just 65 of the most deprived areas bordered one of the least deprived. This number rose to 119 in the most recent data.
A Barrier Which Does More Than Separate Space
In Grimsby, the divide is the most pronounced in the UK and painfully apparent. The barrier is much more than a metaphorical division; it causes tangible difficulties for daily routines.
- The school commute that should take 15-20 minutes become an hour-long detour.
- Reaching important amenities like grocery stores, educational facilities and care homes is hindered.
- The area can attract antisocial behaviour, with instances of litter being dumped over the wall and other issues.
“People strive to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you live opposite that,” said one resident, motioning at the corroded metal wall.
Community Spirit Amidst Hardship
At a local community centre, workers stress that need transcends postcodes. “Your postcode is not a reliable indicator of your personal struggles,” said director a community leader.
Regardless of being placed in the lowest 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe retains a fierce loyalty and sense of togetherness among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area is classified among the most prosperous 10% nationally.
A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford
This phenomenon is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope estate in Kent, a 1960s housing development, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of areas in the country. It is closely bordered by spacious detached homes built in the early 2000s that are in the top 10% for employment and quality of surroundings.
“They may possess larger properties, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented a long-term resident, 63. “You’ll probably find many people in the new builds don’t even speak to each other.”
The economic divide is evident: an typical three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide comparable homes go for about £410,000.
Locals describe a palpable feeling of neglect. “Our neighbourhood gets ignored,” said resident 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 rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a picture of an increasingly segregated society, where wealth and need are often awkwardly in close proximity.
