🔗 Share this article A Growing ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: The Way Prosperity and Deprivation Are Found Side by Side in Across England. In Nunsthorpe, inhabitants occupy homes just a few metres from their wealthier neighbours in nearby Scartho. One six-foot-tall wall physically divides the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, blocking off roads and walkways that previously connected them. “This is the posh-poor divide,” said a resident, aged 37. “It’s been like this since I’ve known. I doubt they’ll bring it down because I don’t think they’ll want to associate with us.” An Increasingly Common National Picture Data from government statistics reveals the extent of inequality often exists, at times across nothing more than a few metres of tarmac, a hedge row or a barrier. Years of austerity and lack of funding mean a majority of local authorities now have a neighbourhood ranking as one of the most deprived in the country. The spread of deprivation has led to a significant rise in the quantity of places where deprived and affluent residents end up living side by side. In 2019, just 65 of the most deprived areas bordered one of the least deprived. This number rose to 119 in the most recent data. A Wall That Divides More Than Space In Grimsby, the divide is the biggest in the UK and painfully obvious. The wall transcends being just a symbolic division; it creates tangible difficulties for daily routines. School runs that ought to take 15-20 minutes become an sixty-minute journey. Access to key services like grocery stores, schools and care homes is made more difficult. The site can attract antisocial behaviour, with reports of litter being dumped over the wall and related problems. “People strive to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one local, motioning at the corroded metal wall. Local Bonds Amidst Challenges At a local community centre, workers stress that need transcends addresses. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” said director Tracey Good. Despite being placed in the most deprived 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, Nunsthorpe retains a strong sense and feeling of togetherness among its inhabitants. By contrast, the neighbouring area ranks among the most prosperous 10% nationally. A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford This phenomenon is repeated across the country. The Stanhope estate in Ashford, Kent, a 1960s housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in England. It is immediately adjacent by large 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,” commented a long-term resident, aged 63. “It’s likely many people over there don’t even speak to each other.” The financial divide is clear: an average family home sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while on the other side equivalent properties go for about £410,000. Residents describe a tangible feeling of neglect. “This part of the community gets ignored,” stated resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our amenities have slowly been taken away, and the majority of the community problems here are related to poverty.” The rise in these ‘inequality borders’ presents a picture of an ever more divided society, where wealth and need are often awkwardly in close proximity.
In Nunsthorpe, inhabitants occupy homes just a few metres from their wealthier neighbours in nearby Scartho. One six-foot-tall wall physically divides the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, blocking off roads and walkways that previously connected them. “This is the posh-poor divide,” said a resident, aged 37. “It’s been like this since I’ve known. I doubt they’ll bring it down because I don’t think they’ll want to associate with us.” An Increasingly Common National Picture Data from government statistics reveals the extent of inequality often exists, at times across nothing more than a few metres of tarmac, a hedge row or a barrier. Years of austerity and lack of funding mean a majority of local authorities now have a neighbourhood ranking as one of the most deprived in the country. The spread of deprivation has led to a significant rise in the quantity of places where deprived and affluent residents end up living side by side. In 2019, just 65 of the most deprived areas bordered one of the least deprived. This number rose to 119 in the most recent data. A Wall That Divides More Than Space In Grimsby, the divide is the biggest in the UK and painfully obvious. The wall transcends being just a symbolic division; it creates tangible difficulties for daily routines. School runs that ought to take 15-20 minutes become an sixty-minute journey. Access to key services like grocery stores, schools and care homes is made more difficult. The site can attract antisocial behaviour, with reports of litter being dumped over the wall and related problems. “People strive to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one local, motioning at the corroded metal wall. Local Bonds Amidst Challenges At a local community centre, workers stress that need transcends addresses. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” said director Tracey Good. Despite being placed in the most deprived 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, Nunsthorpe retains a strong sense and feeling of togetherness among its inhabitants. By contrast, the neighbouring area ranks among the most prosperous 10% nationally. A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford This phenomenon is repeated across the country. The Stanhope estate in Ashford, Kent, a 1960s housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in England. It is immediately adjacent by large 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,” commented a long-term resident, aged 63. “It’s likely many people over there don’t even speak to each other.” The financial divide is clear: an average family home sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while on the other side equivalent properties go for about £410,000. Residents describe a tangible feeling of neglect. “This part of the community gets ignored,” stated resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our amenities have slowly been taken away, and the majority of the community problems here are related to poverty.” The rise in these ‘inequality borders’ presents a picture of an ever more divided society, where wealth and need are often awkwardly in close proximity.