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

In a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, inhabitants live in homes only a few metres from their more affluent neighbours in nearby Scartho. One six-foot-tall barricade physically separates the two communities in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, blocking off paths and streets that previously linked them.

“It’s the posh-poor divide,” said Serenity Colley, 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll bring it down because I suspect they’ll want to associate with us.”

An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country

Data from official figures reveals how deep disparity often exists, at times over little more than a few metres of tarmac, a line of hedges or a barrier. Decades of austerity and lack of funding mean almost two-thirds of councils now contain a locality classified as one of the most deprived in the country.

The geographical widening of deprivation has led to a significant increase in the quantity of places where disadvantaged and affluent residents find themselves living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the poorest areas adjoined one of the least deprived. This number rose to 119 in the most recent data.

A Barrier Which Divides More Than Space

In Grimsby, the divide is the most pronounced in the country and painfully apparent. The barrier is much more than a metaphorical division; it causes very real problems for daily routines.

• The school commute that should take 15-20 minutes become an hour-long detour.
• Access to important services like supermarkets, educational facilities and employment centres is hindered.
• The site often sees antisocial behaviour, with reports of rubbish being thrown over the wall and related issues.

“You try to maintain a nice house and nice garden, and then you live opposite that,” noted one local, gesturing towards the rusted barricade.

Community Spirit Against a Backdrop of Challenges

Within a local community centre, workers emphasise that need transcends addresses. “Your postcode is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” explained chief executive Tracey Good.

Regardless of ranking in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe retains a strong sense and sense of community among its inhabitants. By contrast, the neighbouring area ranks among the most prosperous 10% nationally.

Echoes Elsewhere: An Estate in Kent

This pattern is repeated across the country. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century overspill estate, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of areas in the country. It is immediately adjacent by spacious detached homes built in the 2000s that are in the top 10% for job prospects and living environment.

“They might have bigger houses, but here there’s more community,” commented a long-term resident, 63. “It’s likely a lot of people over there don’t even speak to each other.”

The economic gap is clear: an typical family home sells for about £275,000 on the estate, while across the divide comparable homes go for about £410,000.

Locals speak of a tangible sense of being overlooked. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” said resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our amenities have slowly been taken away, and most of the issues we face here are to do with financial hardship.”

The increase in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a picture of an increasingly segregated England, where prosperity and deprivation are frequently awkwardly in close proximity.