A Rising ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: How Prosperity and Deprivation Are Found Cheek by Jowl in England.

Within Nunsthorpe, residents live in properties only a few metres from their more affluent counterparts in the adjacent Scartho village. One 1.8-metre-high wall literally separates the two communities in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, blocking off paths and streets that once linked them.

“It’s the posh-poor divide,” said a resident, 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 mix with us.”

A Stark Pattern Across the Country

Data from official statistics shows how deep disparity often exists, sometimes over little more than a short distance of tarmac, a hedge row or a wall. Decades of budget cuts and underinvestment have led to a situation where a majority of local authorities now have a locality ranking as one of the most deprived in the country.

This spread of deprivation has coincided with a significant rise in the number of locations where disadvantaged and well-off people find themselves living side by side. In 2019, 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 Land

At this Lincolnshire site, the divide is the biggest in the country and starkly obvious. The barrier is much more than a metaphorical divide; it creates tangible problems for daily routines.

• The school commute that should take 15-20 minutes become an sixty-minute detour.
• Reaching important services like supermarkets, educational facilities and care homes is hindered.
• The site often sees vandalism and loitering, with reports of litter being dumped over the wall and other issues.

“You try to maintain a well-kept home and garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one local, gesturing towards the rusted barricade.

Community Spirit Against a Backdrop of Challenges

At Centre4, staff stress that support transcends addresses. “Where you live doesn’t necessarily indicate your level of challenge,” explained chief executive a community leader.

Despite ranking in the lowest 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, the estate boasts a fierce loyalty and feeling of togetherness among its inhabitants. By contrast, the neighbouring area ranks among the most prosperous 10% nationally.

A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford

This phenomenon is repeated nationally. The Stanhope area in Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in England. It is immediately adjacent by spacious detached homes built in the 2000s that sit in the top 10% for job prospects and living environment.

“They may possess 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 economic gap is evident: an typical three-bedroom house costs about £275,000 on the estate, while across the divide equivalent homes fetch about £410,000.

Locals speak of a palpable feeling of being overlooked. “Our neighbourhood gets ignored,” stated resident Susan. “Over here our facilities have gradually disappeared, and the majority of the issues we face here are to do with financial hardship.”

The increase in these ‘deprivation divides’ paints a picture of an increasingly divided England, where prosperity and deprivation are frequently uncomfortably in close proximity.