🔗 Share this article A Rising ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: The Way Prosperity and Deprivation Now Sit Cheek by Jowl in England. In a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, inhabitants occupy properties only several yards from their more affluent neighbours in the adjacent Scartho village. One 1.8-metre-high wall physically divides the two areas in the town of Grimsby, sealing off paths and streets that previously connected them. “This is the divide between rich and poor,” said a resident, aged 37. “It’s been like this since I’ve known. I doubt they’ll take it down because I don’t think they’ll want to associate with us.” An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country Data from official statistics shows the extent of disparity often exists, at times across nothing more than a short distance of tarmac, a hedge row or a wall. Years of austerity and lack of funding have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of councils now contain a locality ranking as one of the most deprived in the nation. The spread of deprivation has coincided with a sharp rise in the quantity of places where disadvantaged and well-off people end up as immediate neighbours. In 2019, only 65 of the most deprived areas bordered one of the least deprived. This number increased to 119 in the latest data. A Barrier Which Does More Than Separate Land In Grimsby, the gap is the biggest in the UK and painfully apparent. The barrier transcends being just a metaphorical divide; it creates very real problems for daily routines. School runs that ought to take a quarter of an hour turn into an sixty-minute journey. Reaching important services like grocery stores, schools and care homes is made more difficult. The area often sees vandalism and loitering, with reports of litter being dumped over the wall and other problems. “You try 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, staff emphasise that support does not recognise addresses. “Your postcode is not a reliable indicator of your personal struggles,” said director a community leader. Despite ranking in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, the estate boasts a strong sense and sense of togetherness among its residents. Meanwhile, Scartho ranks among the least deprived 10% overall. Echoes Elsewhere: Stanhope in Ashford This phenomenon is mirrored nationally. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century housing development, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of neighbourhoods in England. It is closely bordered by spacious detached homes built in the 2000s that are in the wealthiest tenth for employment and quality of surroundings. “They might have bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented a long-term resident, aged 63. “You’ll probably find a lot of people over there never even talk to each other.” The economic divide is clear: an typical family home costs about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide comparable properties go for about £410,000. Locals speak of a tangible feeling of neglect. “This part of the community is neglected,” said holistic health worker Susan. “In this area our facilities have slowly been taken away, and most of the issues we face here are related to poverty.” The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ paints a portrait of an ever more segregated England, where prosperity and need are often uncomfortably close neighbours.
In a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, inhabitants occupy properties only several yards from their more affluent neighbours in the adjacent Scartho village. One 1.8-metre-high wall physically divides the two areas in the town of Grimsby, sealing off paths and streets that previously connected them. “This is the divide between rich and poor,” said a resident, aged 37. “It’s been like this since I’ve known. I doubt they’ll take it down because I don’t think they’ll want to associate with us.” An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country Data from official statistics shows the extent of disparity often exists, at times across nothing more than a short distance of tarmac, a hedge row or a wall. Years of austerity and lack of funding have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of councils now contain a locality ranking as one of the most deprived in the nation. The spread of deprivation has coincided with a sharp rise in the quantity of places where disadvantaged and well-off people end up as immediate neighbours. In 2019, only 65 of the most deprived areas bordered one of the least deprived. This number increased to 119 in the latest data. A Barrier Which Does More Than Separate Land In Grimsby, the gap is the biggest in the UK and painfully apparent. The barrier transcends being just a metaphorical divide; it creates very real problems for daily routines. School runs that ought to take a quarter of an hour turn into an sixty-minute journey. Reaching important services like grocery stores, schools and care homes is made more difficult. The area often sees vandalism and loitering, with reports of litter being dumped over the wall and other problems. “You try 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, staff emphasise that support does not recognise addresses. “Your postcode is not a reliable indicator of your personal struggles,” said director a community leader. Despite ranking in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, the estate boasts a strong sense and sense of togetherness among its residents. Meanwhile, Scartho ranks among the least deprived 10% overall. Echoes Elsewhere: Stanhope in Ashford This phenomenon is mirrored nationally. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century housing development, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of neighbourhoods in England. It is closely bordered by spacious detached homes built in the 2000s that are in the wealthiest tenth for employment and quality of surroundings. “They might have bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented a long-term resident, aged 63. “You’ll probably find a lot of people over there never even talk to each other.” The economic divide is clear: an typical family home costs about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide comparable properties go for about £410,000. Locals speak of a tangible feeling of neglect. “This part of the community is neglected,” said holistic health worker Susan. “In this area our facilities have slowly been taken away, and most of the issues we face here are related to poverty.” The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ paints a portrait of an ever more segregated England, where prosperity and need are often uncomfortably close neighbours.