A Growing ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: How Affluence and Deprivation Now Sit Side by Side in England.

Within Nunsthorpe, inhabitants live in homes only several yards from their more affluent counterparts in the adjacent Scartho village. One 1.8-metre-high barricade literally divides the two communities in the town of Grimsby, blocking off paths and streets that once connected them.

“It’s the posh-poor divide,” said 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 associate with us.”

An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country

Data from government figures reveals how deep disparity can run, sometimes over nothing more than a short distance of asphalt, a hedge row or a wall. Decades of austerity and lack of funding mean a majority of councils now have a neighbourhood ranking as one of the poorest in the nation.

This geographical widening of deprivation has led to a sharp increase in the number of locations where disadvantaged and affluent residents end up as immediate neighbours. Just a few years ago, only 65 of the most deprived neighbourhoods bordered one of the least deprived. This number rose to 119 in the most recent data.

A Barrier Which Divides More Than Space

At this Lincolnshire site, the gap is the biggest in the UK and starkly obvious. The wall transcends being just a metaphorical division; it causes very real difficulties for daily routines.

• The school commute that ought to take 15-20 minutes become an hour-long journey.
• Reaching important amenities like grocery stores, educational facilities and employment centres is hindered.
• The site often sees vandalism and loitering, with instances of litter being dumped over the wall and other issues.

“You try to have a well-kept home and garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one resident, gesturing towards the corroded barricade.

Community Spirit Amidst Challenges

Within a local community centre, staff emphasise that need does not recognise addresses. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” explained chief executive a community leader.

Despite ranking in the lowest 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, the estate retains a strong sense and sense of community among its residents. 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 housing development, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of neighbourhoods in England. It is immediately adjacent by large detached homes built in the 2000s that are in the wealthiest tenth for employment and living environment.

“They might have larger properties, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented Phil Hockley, 63. “It’s likely a lot of people in the new builds don’t even speak to each other.”

The economic divide is evident: an average three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the estate, while on the other side comparable homes fetch about £410,000.

Locals describe a palpable feeling of neglect. “This part of the community is neglected,” said resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our facilities have gradually disappeared, and most of the issues we face here are to do with poverty.”

The increase in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a portrait of an ever more segregated society, where prosperity and deprivation are often awkwardly in close proximity.