A Rising ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: The Way Prosperity and Hardship Are Found Cheek by Jowl in England.

In Nunsthorpe, residents occupy homes only a few metres from their wealthier counterparts in nearby Scartho. A 1.8-metre-high barricade physically separates the two communities in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, sealing off paths and streets that once linked them.

“This is the posh-poor divide,” 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 mix with us.”

A Stark Pattern Across the Country

Data from government statistics shows the extent of disparity can run, at times over little more than a short distance of asphalt, a hedge row or a wall. Years of austerity and underinvestment have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of local authorities now contain a locality ranking as one of the most deprived in the nation.

This geographical widening of poverty has led to a significant rise in the number of places where disadvantaged and affluent residents find themselves as immediate neighbours. In 2019, just 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods bordered one of the least deprived. This number rose to 119 in the most recent data.

A Barrier Which Does More Than Separate Land

In Grimsby, the gap is the most pronounced in the UK and painfully obvious. The wall transcends being just a metaphorical divide; it creates very real difficulties for everyday life.

• School runs that should take 15-20 minutes become an hour-long detour.
• Access to important services like grocery stores, schools and employment centres is made more difficult.
• The site often sees antisocial behaviour, with instances of rubbish being thrown over the wall and other issues.

“You try to maintain a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one resident, gesturing towards the corroded metal wall.

Community Spirit Against a Backdrop of Hardship

Within a local community centre, workers stress that support transcends postcodes. “Where you live doesn’t necessarily indicate your personal struggles,” said director a community leader.

Despite ranking in the most deprived 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, Nunsthorpe retains a fierce loyalty and feeling of community among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, Scartho is classified among the most prosperous 10% overall.

A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford

This phenomenon is repeated across the country. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in the country. It is immediately adjacent by spacious detached homes built in the 2000s that are in the top 10% for employment and quality of surroundings.

“They may possess larger properties, but here there’s a stronger community,” said a long-term resident, aged 63. “It’s likely many people in the new builds don’t even speak to each other.”

The financial divide is clear: an typical three-bedroom house costs about £275,000 on the estate, while on the other side equivalent homes fetch about £410,000.

Residents speak of a palpable feeling of neglect. “This part of the community is neglected,” said holistic health worker Susan. “Over here our amenities have gradually disappeared, and most of the issues we face here are related to financial hardship.”

The increase in these ‘deprivation divides’ paints a portrait of an ever more segregated England, where wealth and deprivation are often awkwardly close neighbours.