The Growing ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: How Prosperity and Deprivation Are Found Cheek by Jowl in Across England.

In Nunsthorpe, inhabitants live in properties only several yards from their more affluent counterparts in the adjacent Scartho. A six-foot-tall wall literally divides the two communities in the town of Grimsby, sealing off roads and walkways that once linked them.

“It’s the posh-poor divide,” remarked a resident, aged 37. “It has been there for as long as I’ve known. I doubt they’ll bring it down because I suspect they’ll want to mix with us.”

A Stark National Picture

Data from official figures reveals how deep inequality can run, at times over little more than a short distance of tarmac, a line of hedges or a barrier. Years of austerity and lack of funding have led to a situation where a majority of councils now have a locality ranking as one of the poorest in the country.

This spread of deprivation has led to a sharp rise in the quantity of places where disadvantaged and affluent residents find themselves as immediate neighbours. In 2019, just 65 of the most deprived neighbourhoods bordered one of the least deprived. This number increased to 119 in the latest data.

A Barrier Which Divides More Than Land

In Grimsby, the divide is the most pronounced in the country and painfully obvious. The wall is much more than a metaphorical divide; it creates tangible difficulties for everyday life.

• The school commute that should take a quarter of an hour turn into an sixty-minute journey.
• Reaching key services like grocery stores, schools and employment centres is hindered.
• The area often sees vandalism and loitering, with instances of rubbish being thrown over the wall and related issues.

“People strive to have a well-kept home and garden, and then you live opposite that,” noted one resident, gesturing towards the rusted metal wall.

Community Spirit Against a Backdrop of Challenges

Within Centre4, staff stress that need does not recognise addresses. “Where you live doesn’t necessarily indicate your level of challenge,” explained director a community leader.

Regardless of ranking in the lowest 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe boasts a strong sense and sense of community among its inhabitants. By contrast, the neighbouring area is classified among the least deprived 10% nationally.

A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford

This pattern is repeated across the country. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century housing development, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of neighbourhoods in England. It is closely bordered by spacious houses built in the early 2000s that are in the top 10% for job prospects and living environment.

“They may possess larger properties, but here there’s more community,” said a long-term resident, 63. “You’ll probably find many people in the new builds never even talk to each other.”

The economic divide is evident: an typical family home costs about £275,000 on the estate, while across the divide equivalent homes fetch about £410,000.

Locals speak of a tangible feeling of neglect. “This part of the community gets ignored,” said holistic health worker Susan. “Over here 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 portrait of an ever more divided England, where wealth and need are frequently uncomfortably close neighbours.