🔗 Share this article The Rising ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: How Prosperity and Deprivation Now Sit Cheek by Jowl in England. Within Nunsthorpe, inhabitants live in properties only a few metres from their more affluent counterparts in nearby Scartho village. A 1.8-metre-high wall physically divides the two communities in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, blocking off roads and walkways that once linked them. “It’s the posh-poor divide,” said Serenity Colley, aged 37. “It’s been like this since I’ve known. I doubt they’ll take it down because I suspect they’ll want to associate with us.” A Stark National Picture Analysis of government figures reveals the extent of inequality can run, sometimes over nothing more than a short distance of tarmac, a line of hedges or a wall. Decades of budget cuts and underinvestment have led to a situation where a majority of local authorities now have a neighbourhood ranking as one of the most deprived in the nation. The geographical widening of poverty has led to a sharp increase in the number of places where deprived and affluent people end up living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the poorest areas adjoined one of the wealthiest. This number increased to 119 in the most recent data. A Wall That Does More Than Separate Land In Grimsby, the gap is the most pronounced in the UK and starkly apparent. The barrier is much more than a metaphorical divide; it causes very real difficulties for everyday life. The school commute that ought to take a quarter of an hour become an hour-long detour. Reaching important amenities like supermarkets, educational facilities and care homes is made more difficult. The area can attract vandalism and loitering, with reports of rubbish being dumped over the wall and other problems. “People strive to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one local, gesturing towards the corroded barricade. Local Bonds Amidst Challenges Within a local community centre, workers stress that support does not recognise postcodes. “Your postcode is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” said director Tracey Good. Despite ranking in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe boasts a fierce loyalty and feeling of togetherness among its residents. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area ranks among the most prosperous 10% nationally. Echoes Elsewhere: An Estate in Kent This pattern is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope estate in Ashford, Kent, a 1960s housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in the country. It is immediately adjacent by large houses built in the 2000s that are in the top 10% for employment and living environment. “They might have bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented Phil Hockley, aged 63. “You’ll probably find a lot of people over there never even talk to each other.” The financial divide is evident: an typical three-bedroom house costs about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide equivalent properties fetch about £410,000. Residents speak of a tangible feeling of neglect. “This part of the community is neglected,” said resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “Over here our amenities have gradually disappeared, and the majority of the community problems here are related to financial hardship.” The rise in these ‘inequality borders’ paints a picture of an ever more divided society, where prosperity and need are frequently awkwardly in close proximity.
Within Nunsthorpe, inhabitants live in properties only a few metres from their more affluent counterparts in nearby Scartho village. A 1.8-metre-high wall physically divides the two communities in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, blocking off roads and walkways that once linked them. “It’s the posh-poor divide,” said Serenity Colley, aged 37. “It’s been like this since I’ve known. I doubt they’ll take it down because I suspect they’ll want to associate with us.” A Stark National Picture Analysis of government figures reveals the extent of inequality can run, sometimes over nothing more than a short distance of tarmac, a line of hedges or a wall. Decades of budget cuts and underinvestment have led to a situation where a majority of local authorities now have a neighbourhood ranking as one of the most deprived in the nation. The geographical widening of poverty has led to a sharp increase in the number of places where deprived and affluent people end up living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the poorest areas adjoined one of the wealthiest. This number increased to 119 in the most recent data. A Wall That Does More Than Separate Land In Grimsby, the gap is the most pronounced in the UK and starkly apparent. The barrier is much more than a metaphorical divide; it causes very real difficulties for everyday life. The school commute that ought to take a quarter of an hour become an hour-long detour. Reaching important amenities like supermarkets, educational facilities and care homes is made more difficult. The area can attract vandalism and loitering, with reports of rubbish being dumped over the wall and other problems. “People strive to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one local, gesturing towards the corroded barricade. Local Bonds Amidst Challenges Within a local community centre, workers stress that support does not recognise postcodes. “Your postcode is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” said director Tracey Good. Despite ranking in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe boasts a fierce loyalty and feeling of togetherness among its residents. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area ranks among the most prosperous 10% nationally. Echoes Elsewhere: An Estate in Kent This pattern is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope estate in Ashford, Kent, a 1960s housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in the country. It is immediately adjacent by large houses built in the 2000s that are in the top 10% for employment and living environment. “They might have bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented Phil Hockley, aged 63. “You’ll probably find a lot of people over there never even talk to each other.” The financial divide is evident: an typical three-bedroom house costs about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide equivalent properties fetch about £410,000. Residents speak of a tangible feeling of neglect. “This part of the community is neglected,” said resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “Over here our amenities have gradually disappeared, and the majority of the community problems here are related to financial hardship.” The rise in these ‘inequality borders’ paints a picture of an ever more divided society, where prosperity and need are frequently awkwardly in close proximity.