🔗 Share this article The Rising ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: The Way Prosperity and Deprivation Now Sit Side by Side in Across England. In Nunsthorpe, residents live in properties only several yards from their more affluent neighbours in the adjacent Scartho. One 1.8-metre-high barricade literally divides the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, sealing off paths and streets that previously connected them. “This is the divide between rich and poor,” remarked Serenity Colley, aged 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.” A Stark National Picture Data from government figures reveals the extent of disparity often exists, sometimes across nothing more than a few metres of asphalt, a hedge row or a barrier. Decades of austerity and lack of funding have led to a situation where a majority of local authorities now contain a neighbourhood ranking as one of the most deprived in the country. This spread of deprivation has coincided with a sharp increase in the number of places where deprived and well-off people end up living side by side. Just a few years ago, only 65 of the most deprived neighbourhoods bordered one of the least deprived. This number increased to 119 in the latest data. A Wall That Divides More Than Space In Grimsby, the divide is the most pronounced in the country and painfully obvious. The wall transcends being just a metaphorical division; it creates very real difficulties for everyday life. The school commute that ought to take 15-20 minutes turn into an sixty-minute journey. Access to key amenities like grocery stores, educational facilities and employment centres is hindered. The site often sees vandalism and loitering, with reports of rubbish being dumped over the wall and related problems. “People strive to maintain a well-kept home and garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one local, motioning at the corroded barricade. Community Spirit Against a Backdrop of Hardship Within Centre4, staff stress that need transcends postcodes. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” said chief executive Tracey Good. Regardless of ranking in the most deprived 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, the estate retains a strong sense and sense of togetherness among its inhabitants. By contrast, Scartho ranks among the most prosperous 10% nationally. A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford This phenomenon is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in England. It is immediately adjacent by large detached homes built in the early 2000s that are in the wealthiest tenth for job prospects and quality of surroundings. “They might have larger properties, but here there’s more community,” commented a long-term resident, 63. “You’ll probably find many people over there don’t even speak to each other.” The economic gap is clear: an average three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the estate, while across the divide equivalent homes go for about £410,000. Locals describe a tangible sense of being overlooked. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” stated resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our amenities have slowly been taken away, and the majority of the issues we face here are related to poverty.” The rise in these ‘inequality borders’ paints a picture of an ever more divided England, where wealth and need are often awkwardly in close proximity.
In Nunsthorpe, residents live in properties only several yards from their more affluent neighbours in the adjacent Scartho. One 1.8-metre-high barricade literally divides the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, sealing off paths and streets that previously connected them. “This is the divide between rich and poor,” remarked Serenity Colley, aged 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.” A Stark National Picture Data from government figures reveals the extent of disparity often exists, sometimes across nothing more than a few metres of asphalt, a hedge row or a barrier. Decades of austerity and lack of funding have led to a situation where a majority of local authorities now contain a neighbourhood ranking as one of the most deprived in the country. This spread of deprivation has coincided with a sharp increase in the number of places where deprived and well-off people end up living side by side. Just a few years ago, only 65 of the most deprived neighbourhoods bordered one of the least deprived. This number increased to 119 in the latest data. A Wall That Divides More Than Space In Grimsby, the divide is the most pronounced in the country and painfully obvious. The wall transcends being just a metaphorical division; it creates very real difficulties for everyday life. The school commute that ought to take 15-20 minutes turn into an sixty-minute journey. Access to key amenities like grocery stores, educational facilities and employment centres is hindered. The site often sees vandalism and loitering, with reports of rubbish being dumped over the wall and related problems. “People strive to maintain a well-kept home and garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one local, motioning at the corroded barricade. Community Spirit Against a Backdrop of Hardship Within Centre4, staff stress that need transcends postcodes. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” said chief executive Tracey Good. Regardless of ranking in the most deprived 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, the estate retains a strong sense and sense of togetherness among its inhabitants. By contrast, Scartho ranks among the most prosperous 10% nationally. A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford This phenomenon is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in England. It is immediately adjacent by large detached homes built in the early 2000s that are in the wealthiest tenth for job prospects and quality of surroundings. “They might have larger properties, but here there’s more community,” commented a long-term resident, 63. “You’ll probably find many people over there don’t even speak to each other.” The economic gap is clear: an average three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the estate, while across the divide equivalent homes go for about £410,000. Locals describe a tangible sense of being overlooked. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” stated resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our amenities have slowly been taken away, and the majority of the issues we face here are related to poverty.” The rise in these ‘inequality borders’ paints a picture of an ever more divided England, where wealth and need are often awkwardly in close proximity.