The Rising ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: The Way Affluence and Hardship Are Found Side by Side in Across England.
In a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents occupy homes only several yards from their more affluent neighbours in the adjacent Scartho village. One six-foot-tall barricade literally separates the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, sealing off roads and walkways that previously linked them.
“This is the posh-poor divide,” said a resident, 37. “It’s been like this for as long as I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll bring it down because I suspect they’ll want to associate with us.”
An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country
Data from government statistics 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 have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of councils now contain a locality ranking as one of the poorest in the country.
This spread of deprivation has led to a significant increase in the number of places where disadvantaged and affluent people find themselves as immediate neighbours. In 2019, only 65 of the most deprived neighbourhoods adjoined one of the least deprived. This number increased to 119 in the most recent data.
A Wall That Divides More Than Space
At this Lincolnshire site, the divide is the biggest in the UK and painfully apparent. The wall is much more than a symbolic divide; it causes very real difficulties for everyday life.
- The school commute that should take a quarter of an hour turn into an hour-long journey.
- Access to important services like grocery stores, educational facilities and employment centres is made more difficult.
- The site often sees antisocial behaviour, with reports of litter being thrown over the wall and other problems.
“You try to maintain a nice house and nice garden, and then you live opposite that,” said one local, motioning at the rusted barricade.
Community Spirit Amidst Hardship
Within a local community centre, workers emphasise that support does not recognise postcodes. “Your postcode is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” said chief executive a community leader.
Despite being placed in the most deprived 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, Nunsthorpe boasts a strong sense and feeling of togetherness among its residents. By contrast, the neighbouring area ranks among the most prosperous 10% overall.
Echoes Elsewhere: Stanhope in Ashford
This phenomenon is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope estate in Kent, a mid-century overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in England. It is immediately adjacent by large houses built in the early 2000s that sit in the top 10% for employment and quality of surroundings.
“They might have bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented a long-term resident, 63. “It’s likely a lot of people over there never even talk to each other.”
The financial divide is evident: an average three-bedroom house costs about £275,000 on the estate, while on the other side comparable homes go for about £410,000.
Residents describe a tangible feeling of being overlooked. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” stated holistic health worker Susan. “In this area our amenities have gradually disappeared, and the majority of the issues we face here are related to financial hardship.”
The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a picture of an increasingly segregated society, where wealth and deprivation are frequently awkwardly in close proximity.