🔗 Share this article The Rising ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: How Affluence and Hardship Now Sit Side by Side in Across England. Within a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, inhabitants live in properties only several yards from their wealthier counterparts in nearby Scartho village. One six-foot-tall wall literally divides the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, sealing off roads and walkways that previously connected them. “This is the divide between rich and poor,” remarked a resident, aged 37. “It has been there for as long as I’ve known. I doubt they’ll take it down because I suspect they’ll want to associate with us.” An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country Data from government figures shows how deep disparity often exists, at times over nothing more than a short distance of asphalt, a hedge row or a wall. Years of budget cuts and underinvestment have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of local authorities now have a locality ranking as one of the poorest in the nation. The spread of deprivation has led to a significant rise in the number of places where disadvantaged and affluent residents find themselves living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods adjoined one of the least deprived. That figure increased to 119 in the most recent data. A Barrier Which Does More Than Separate Space At this Lincolnshire site, the gap is the biggest in the country and painfully obvious. The wall transcends being just a symbolic divide; it creates tangible difficulties for everyday life. The school commute that ought to take 15-20 minutes become an sixty-minute journey. Reaching important services like supermarkets, educational facilities and care homes is made more difficult. The area often sees vandalism and loitering, with instances of rubbish being dumped over the wall and related problems. “People strive to maintain a well-kept home and garden, and then you live opposite that,” noted one local, motioning at the corroded barricade. Community Spirit Amidst Hardship Within a local community centre, workers stress that support does not recognise postcodes. “Where you live doesn’t necessarily indicate your personal struggles,” explained director a community leader. Despite being placed in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe retains a fierce loyalty and sense of togetherness among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area is classified among the most prosperous 10% overall. Echoes Elsewhere: An Estate in Kent This phenomenon is repeated nationally. The Stanhope area in Kent, a mid-century housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in the country. It is immediately adjacent by spacious detached homes built in the 2000s that sit in the top 10% for job prospects and quality of surroundings. “They may possess bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented Phil Hockley, 63. “It’s likely many people in the new builds never even talk to each other.” The economic divide is evident: an typical three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide equivalent properties go for about £410,000. Locals speak of a tangible sense of neglect. “Our neighbourhood gets ignored,” said resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “Over here our amenities have gradually disappeared, and most of the issues we face here are related to poverty.” The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ paints a picture of an ever more divided society, where prosperity and deprivation are often awkwardly in close proximity.
Within a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, inhabitants live in properties only several yards from their wealthier counterparts in nearby Scartho village. One six-foot-tall wall literally divides the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, sealing off roads and walkways that previously connected them. “This is the divide between rich and poor,” remarked a resident, aged 37. “It has been there for as long as I’ve known. I doubt they’ll take it down because I suspect they’ll want to associate with us.” An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country Data from government figures shows how deep disparity often exists, at times over nothing more than a short distance of asphalt, a hedge row or a wall. Years of budget cuts and underinvestment have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of local authorities now have a locality ranking as one of the poorest in the nation. The spread of deprivation has led to a significant rise in the number of places where disadvantaged and affluent residents find themselves living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods adjoined one of the least deprived. That figure increased to 119 in the most recent data. A Barrier Which Does More Than Separate Space At this Lincolnshire site, the gap is the biggest in the country and painfully obvious. The wall transcends being just a symbolic divide; it creates tangible difficulties for everyday life. The school commute that ought to take 15-20 minutes become an sixty-minute journey. Reaching important services like supermarkets, educational facilities and care homes is made more difficult. The area often sees vandalism and loitering, with instances of rubbish being dumped over the wall and related problems. “People strive to maintain a well-kept home and garden, and then you live opposite that,” noted one local, motioning at the corroded barricade. Community Spirit Amidst Hardship Within a local community centre, workers stress that support does not recognise postcodes. “Where you live doesn’t necessarily indicate your personal struggles,” explained director a community leader. Despite being placed in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe retains a fierce loyalty and sense of togetherness among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area is classified among the most prosperous 10% overall. Echoes Elsewhere: An Estate in Kent This phenomenon is repeated nationally. The Stanhope area in Kent, a mid-century housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in the country. It is immediately adjacent by spacious detached homes built in the 2000s that sit in the top 10% for job prospects and quality of surroundings. “They may possess bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented Phil Hockley, 63. “It’s likely many people in the new builds never even talk to each other.” The economic divide is evident: an typical three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide equivalent properties go for about £410,000. Locals speak of a tangible sense of neglect. “Our neighbourhood gets ignored,” said resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “Over here our amenities have gradually disappeared, and most of the issues we face here are related to poverty.” The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ paints a picture of an ever more divided society, where prosperity and deprivation are often awkwardly in close proximity.