🔗 Share this article The Growing ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: The Way Affluence and Hardship Now Sit Cheek by Jowl in England. Within a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, inhabitants occupy homes only a few metres from their wealthier neighbours in nearby Scartho village. A 1.8-metre-high wall physically divides the two communities in the town of Grimsby, sealing off paths and streets that once linked them. “This is the divide between rich and poor,” said Serenity Colley, aged 37. “It has been there for as long as I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll take it down because I suspect they’ll want to associate with us.” An Increasingly Common National Picture Analysis of official statistics shows the extent of disparity often exists, sometimes over little more than a few metres of tarmac, a hedge row or a barrier. Decades of austerity and underinvestment mean almost two-thirds of councils now contain a locality ranking as one of the poorest in the nation. The spread of deprivation has coincided with a sharp rise in the quantity of places where deprived and well-off residents end up living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods bordered one of the wealthiest. That figure increased to 119 in the latest data. A Barrier Which Divides More Than Land In Grimsby, the gap is the most pronounced in the country and painfully apparent. The wall transcends being just a metaphorical division; it causes tangible problems for everyday life. The school commute that should take a quarter of an hour become an sixty-minute journey. Reaching key services like grocery stores, educational facilities and care homes is hindered. The site often sees antisocial behaviour, with instances of litter being dumped over the wall and other issues. “People strive to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one resident, motioning at the rusted metal wall. Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Challenges Within a local community centre, workers emphasise that support transcends addresses. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” explained chief executive a community leader. Regardless of being placed in the lowest 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, Nunsthorpe boasts a strong sense and feeling of community among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, Scartho is classified among the most prosperous 10% nationally. A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent This pattern is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope estate in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in England. It is immediately adjacent by spacious houses built in the 2000s that are in the top 10% for employment and living environment. “They may possess bigger houses, but here there’s more community,” commented a long-term resident, 63. “It’s likely a lot of people in the new builds don’t even speak to each other.” The financial gap is evident: an typical three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide comparable properties fetch about £410,000. Locals describe a tangible sense of neglect. “Our neighbourhood gets ignored,” said resident Susan. “Over here our amenities have gradually disappeared, and most of the community problems here are related to financial hardship.” The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ paints a picture of an increasingly segregated society, where prosperity and need are frequently uncomfortably in close proximity.
Within a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, inhabitants occupy homes only a few metres from their wealthier neighbours in nearby Scartho village. A 1.8-metre-high wall physically divides the two communities in the town of Grimsby, sealing off paths and streets that once linked them. “This is the divide between rich and poor,” said Serenity Colley, aged 37. “It has been there for as long as I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll take it down because I suspect they’ll want to associate with us.” An Increasingly Common National Picture Analysis of official statistics shows the extent of disparity often exists, sometimes over little more than a few metres of tarmac, a hedge row or a barrier. Decades of austerity and underinvestment mean almost two-thirds of councils now contain a locality ranking as one of the poorest in the nation. The spread of deprivation has coincided with a sharp rise in the quantity of places where deprived and well-off residents end up living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods bordered one of the wealthiest. That figure increased to 119 in the latest data. A Barrier Which Divides More Than Land In Grimsby, the gap is the most pronounced in the country and painfully apparent. The wall transcends being just a metaphorical division; it causes tangible problems for everyday life. The school commute that should take a quarter of an hour become an sixty-minute journey. Reaching key services like grocery stores, educational facilities and care homes is hindered. The site often sees antisocial behaviour, with instances of litter being dumped over the wall and other issues. “People strive to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one resident, motioning at the rusted metal wall. Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Challenges Within a local community centre, workers emphasise that support transcends addresses. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” explained chief executive a community leader. Regardless of being placed in the lowest 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, Nunsthorpe boasts a strong sense and feeling of community among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, Scartho is classified among the most prosperous 10% nationally. A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent This pattern is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope estate in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in England. It is immediately adjacent by spacious houses built in the 2000s that are in the top 10% for employment and living environment. “They may possess bigger houses, but here there’s more community,” commented a long-term resident, 63. “It’s likely a lot of people in the new builds don’t even speak to each other.” The financial gap is evident: an typical three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide comparable properties fetch about £410,000. Locals describe a tangible sense of neglect. “Our neighbourhood gets ignored,” said resident Susan. “Over here our amenities have gradually disappeared, and most of the community problems here are related to financial hardship.” The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ paints a picture of an increasingly segregated society, where prosperity and need are frequently uncomfortably in close proximity.