🔗 Share this article The Rising ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: The Way Prosperity and Hardship Are Found Cheek by Jowl in England. Within a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents live in homes just a few metres from their more affluent counterparts in nearby Scartho village. A 1.8-metre-high wall physically separates the two areas in the town of Grimsby, blocking off roads and walkways that previously linked them. “It’s the posh-poor divide,” remarked a resident, aged 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I doubt they’ll bring it down because I don’t think they’ll want to mix with us.” An Increasingly Common National Picture Analysis of government figures reveals the extent of inequality often exists, at times over little more than a short distance of tarmac, a line of hedges or a wall. Decades of austerity and underinvestment have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of councils now contain a locality ranking as one of the most deprived in the country. This geographical widening of poverty has led to a sharp increase in the quantity of locations where deprived and affluent people end up living side by side. In 2019, just 65 of the most deprived areas adjoined one of the wealthiest. That figure rose to 119 in the most recent data. A Barrier Which Does More Than Separate Space In Grimsby, the gap is the most pronounced in the country and starkly obvious. The wall is much more than a metaphorical division; it causes very real difficulties for everyday life. The school commute that ought to take 15-20 minutes turn into an hour-long detour. Access to key amenities like supermarkets, schools and care homes is hindered. The area often sees antisocial behaviour, with reports of litter being thrown over the wall and related issues. “You try to maintain a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one local, motioning at the rusted barricade. Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Challenges At a local community centre, staff emphasise that need does not recognise postcodes. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your personal struggles,” said chief executive a community leader. Regardless of being placed in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe boasts a strong sense and feeling of togetherness among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, Scartho is classified among the least deprived 10% overall. A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent 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 early 2000s that sit in the wealthiest tenth for employment and quality of surroundings. “They may possess larger properties, 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 economic divide is clear: an typical family home sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while on the other side comparable properties go for about £410,000. Residents describe a palpable feeling of being overlooked. “This part of the community is neglected,” stated resident Susan. “In this area our facilities have gradually disappeared, and most of the community problems here are related to poverty.” The rise in these ‘inequality borders’ presents a picture of an ever more segregated society, where prosperity and deprivation are frequently awkwardly close neighbours.
Within a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents live in homes just a few metres from their more affluent counterparts in nearby Scartho village. A 1.8-metre-high wall physically separates the two areas in the town of Grimsby, blocking off roads and walkways that previously linked them. “It’s the posh-poor divide,” remarked a resident, aged 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I doubt they’ll bring it down because I don’t think they’ll want to mix with us.” An Increasingly Common National Picture Analysis of government figures reveals the extent of inequality often exists, at times over little more than a short distance of tarmac, a line of hedges or a wall. Decades of austerity and underinvestment have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of councils now contain a locality ranking as one of the most deprived in the country. This geographical widening of poverty has led to a sharp increase in the quantity of locations where deprived and affluent people end up living side by side. In 2019, just 65 of the most deprived areas adjoined one of the wealthiest. That figure rose to 119 in the most recent data. A Barrier Which Does More Than Separate Space In Grimsby, the gap is the most pronounced in the country and starkly obvious. The wall is much more than a metaphorical division; it causes very real difficulties for everyday life. The school commute that ought to take 15-20 minutes turn into an hour-long detour. Access to key amenities like supermarkets, schools and care homes is hindered. The area often sees antisocial behaviour, with reports of litter being thrown over the wall and related issues. “You try to maintain a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one local, motioning at the rusted barricade. Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Challenges At a local community centre, staff emphasise that need does not recognise postcodes. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your personal struggles,” said chief executive a community leader. Regardless of being placed in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe boasts a strong sense and feeling of togetherness among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, Scartho is classified among the least deprived 10% overall. A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent 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 early 2000s that sit in the wealthiest tenth for employment and quality of surroundings. “They may possess larger properties, 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 economic divide is clear: an typical family home sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while on the other side comparable properties go for about £410,000. Residents describe a palpable feeling of being overlooked. “This part of the community is neglected,” stated resident Susan. “In this area our facilities have gradually disappeared, and most of the community problems here are related to poverty.” The rise in these ‘inequality borders’ presents a picture of an ever more segregated society, where prosperity and deprivation are frequently awkwardly close neighbours.