The Growing ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: How Prosperity and Hardship Now Sit Cheek by Jowl in England.
Within a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents occupy homes just several yards from their wealthier counterparts in the adjacent Scartho. One 1.8-metre-high wall physically separates the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, sealing off roads and walkways that once linked them.
“This is the divide between rich and poor,” remarked Serenity Colley, 37. “It’s been like this since I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll bring it down because I don’t think they’ll want to mix with us.”
A Stark Pattern Across the Country
Analysis of official statistics reveals the extent of disparity can run, sometimes over little more than a few metres of asphalt, a hedge row or a barrier. Years of austerity and underinvestment mean a majority of councils now have a locality ranking as one of the poorest in the country.
This spread of deprivation has coincided with a sharp increase in the quantity of locations where deprived and affluent residents find themselves as immediate neighbours. In 2019, only 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods adjoined one of the least deprived. That figure increased to 119 in the most recent data.
A Wall That Does More Than Separate Space
At this Lincolnshire site, the divide is the biggest in the country and painfully obvious. The wall is much more than a metaphorical division; it causes very real difficulties for daily routines.
- The school commute that should take 15-20 minutes become an hour-long detour.
- Access to key services like supermarkets, educational facilities and employment centres is hindered.
- The site often sees antisocial behaviour, with instances of litter being dumped over the wall and other issues.
“You try to maintain a nice house and nice garden, and then you live opposite that,” noted one local, gesturing towards the corroded metal wall.
Local Bonds Amidst Challenges
Within Centre4, workers stress that need transcends postcodes. “Your postcode is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” explained chief executive a community leader.
Regardless of ranking in the lowest 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, the estate boasts a strong sense and feeling of togetherness among its residents. By contrast, the neighbouring area ranks among the least deprived 10% nationally.
A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent
This phenomenon is mirrored nationally. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in England. It is closely bordered by large houses built in the 2000s that are in the top 10% for employment and living environment.
“They might have bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” said a long-term resident, 63. “It’s likely a lot of people over there don’t even speak to each other.”
The financial divide is clear: an typical three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while on the other side comparable properties fetch about £410,000.
Residents describe a tangible feeling of neglect. “Our neighbourhood gets ignored,” said holistic health worker Susan Riley-Nevers. “Over here our amenities have gradually disappeared, and the majority of the issues we face here are to do with financial hardship.”
The rise in these ‘inequality borders’ paints a picture of an increasingly segregated society, where prosperity and deprivation are often awkwardly in close proximity.
