🔗 Share this article The Rising ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: The Way Prosperity and Deprivation Are Found Cheek by Jowl in Across England. In Nunsthorpe, inhabitants occupy homes just a few metres from their more affluent counterparts in the adjacent Scartho. One 1.8-metre-high wall literally separates the two areas in the town of Grimsby, blocking off roads and walkways that previously connected them. “It’s the posh-poor divide,” remarked Serenity Colley, aged 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll bring it down because I don’t think they’ll want to mix with us.” A Stark Pattern Across the Country Analysis of official figures shows how deep disparity can run, at times across little more than a short distance of tarmac, a hedge row or a barrier. Years of budget cuts and lack of funding mean a majority of local authorities now have a locality ranking as one of the most deprived in the country. The spread of poverty has coincided with a significant rise in the quantity of places where disadvantaged and affluent people find themselves living side by side. Just a few years ago, only 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods bordered one of the wealthiest. That figure increased to 119 in the latest data. A Wall That Does More Than Separate Land At this Lincolnshire site, the divide is the biggest in the UK and painfully obvious. The barrier transcends being just a metaphorical division; it creates very real problems for everyday life. School runs that ought to take a quarter of an hour become an sixty-minute journey. Reaching important services like grocery stores, schools and care homes is hindered. The area can attract vandalism and loitering, with instances of rubbish being thrown over the wall and other issues. “People strive to maintain a well-kept home and garden, and then you live opposite that,” said one resident, gesturing towards the corroded metal wall. Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Challenges At a local community centre, staff stress that support does not recognise addresses. “Your postcode doesn’t necessarily indicate your personal struggles,” explained director Tracey Good. Regardless of being placed in the lowest 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, the estate retains a strong sense and sense of community among its residents. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area ranks among the most prosperous 10% overall. A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent This phenomenon is repeated nationally. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a 1960s housing development, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of areas in England. It is closely bordered by large houses built in the 2000s that are in the wealthiest tenth for job prospects and living environment. “They might have larger properties, but here there’s more community,” said a long-term resident, aged 63. “It’s likely a lot of people in the new builds don’t even speak to each other.” The economic gap is clear: an typical family home costs about £275,000 on the estate, while on the other side comparable properties go for about £410,000. Locals speak of a tangible sense of being overlooked. “This part of the community gets ignored,” said resident Susan. “Over here our amenities have slowly been taken away, and most of the community problems here are related to poverty.” The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a picture of an increasingly segregated England, where prosperity and deprivation are often awkwardly in close proximity.
In Nunsthorpe, inhabitants occupy homes just a few metres from their more affluent counterparts in the adjacent Scartho. One 1.8-metre-high wall literally separates the two areas in the town of Grimsby, blocking off roads and walkways that previously connected them. “It’s the posh-poor divide,” remarked Serenity Colley, aged 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll bring it down because I don’t think they’ll want to mix with us.” A Stark Pattern Across the Country Analysis of official figures shows how deep disparity can run, at times across little more than a short distance of tarmac, a hedge row or a barrier. Years of budget cuts and lack of funding mean a majority of local authorities now have a locality ranking as one of the most deprived in the country. The spread of poverty has coincided with a significant rise in the quantity of places where disadvantaged and affluent people find themselves living side by side. Just a few years ago, only 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods bordered one of the wealthiest. That figure increased to 119 in the latest data. A Wall That Does More Than Separate Land At this Lincolnshire site, the divide is the biggest in the UK and painfully obvious. The barrier transcends being just a metaphorical division; it creates very real problems for everyday life. School runs that ought to take a quarter of an hour become an sixty-minute journey. Reaching important services like grocery stores, schools and care homes is hindered. The area can attract vandalism and loitering, with instances of rubbish being thrown over the wall and other issues. “People strive to maintain a well-kept home and garden, and then you live opposite that,” said one resident, gesturing towards the corroded metal wall. Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Challenges At a local community centre, staff stress that support does not recognise addresses. “Your postcode doesn’t necessarily indicate your personal struggles,” explained director Tracey Good. Regardless of being placed in the lowest 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, the estate retains a strong sense and sense of community among its residents. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area ranks among the most prosperous 10% overall. A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent This phenomenon is repeated nationally. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a 1960s housing development, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of areas in England. It is closely bordered by large houses built in the 2000s that are in the wealthiest tenth for job prospects and living environment. “They might have larger properties, but here there’s more community,” said a long-term resident, aged 63. “It’s likely a lot of people in the new builds don’t even speak to each other.” The economic gap is clear: an typical family home costs about £275,000 on the estate, while on the other side comparable properties go for about £410,000. Locals speak of a tangible sense of being overlooked. “This part of the community gets ignored,” said resident Susan. “Over here our amenities have slowly been taken away, and most of the community problems here are related to poverty.” The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a picture of an increasingly segregated England, where prosperity and deprivation are often awkwardly in close proximity.