A Rising ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: How Affluence and Deprivation Now Sit Cheek by Jowl in Across England.
In a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents live in homes just a few metres from their more affluent neighbours in the adjacent Scartho. One six-foot-tall wall physically separates the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, sealing off paths and streets that previously connected them.
“It’s the posh-poor divide,” remarked a resident, 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll bring it down because I don’t think they’ll want to associate with us.”
A Stark National Picture
Analysis of official statistics shows the extent of inequality can run, at times over little more than a short distance of tarmac, a line of hedges or a wall. Decades of budget cuts and lack of funding mean a majority of local authorities now contain a locality classified as one of the poorest in the nation.
This spread of poverty has led to a significant rise in the number of locations where disadvantaged and well-off people find themselves as immediate neighbours. In 2019, only 65 of the most deprived areas adjoined one of the wealthiest. That figure rose to 119 in the most recent data.
A Barrier Which Divides More Than Space
At this Lincolnshire site, the gap is the biggest in the UK and starkly apparent. The wall is much more than a metaphorical divide; it creates very real problems for everyday life.
- School runs that should take a quarter of an hour turn into an hour-long detour.
- Reaching important amenities like supermarkets, schools and care homes is made more difficult.
- The area often sees vandalism and loitering, with instances of litter being dumped over the wall and related issues.
“People strive to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one resident, gesturing towards the corroded barricade.
Community Spirit Amidst Challenges
Within Centre4, workers stress that need does not recognise postcodes. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your personal struggles,” said director a community leader.
Despite ranking in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, the estate boasts a fierce loyalty and feeling of community among its residents. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area ranks among the most prosperous 10% nationally.
Echoes Elsewhere: Stanhope in Ashford
This pattern is repeated nationally. The Stanhope estate in Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of neighbourhoods in the country. It is closely bordered by spacious detached homes built in the 2000s that sit in the top 10% for employment and living environment.
“They may possess larger properties, but here there’s more community,” said Phil Hockley, aged 63. “It’s likely a lot of people over there don’t even speak to each other.”
The economic divide is clear: an average three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while on the other side equivalent homes go for about £410,000.
Locals describe a palpable feeling of being overlooked. “Our neighbourhood gets ignored,” stated resident Susan. “Over here our facilities have slowly been taken away, and the majority of the community problems here are to do with poverty.”
The rise in these ‘inequality borders’ presents a picture of an ever more segregated society, where prosperity and need are often uncomfortably close neighbours.
