The Rising ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: How Affluence and Hardship Are Found Cheek by Jowl in Across England.
In a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents live in properties only several yards from their more affluent neighbours in nearby Scartho. One six-foot-tall barricade literally separates the two areas in the town of Grimsby, sealing off roads and walkways that previously connected them.
“This is the posh-poor divide,” said a resident, aged 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll take it down because I don’t think they’ll want to associate with us.”
A Stark Pattern Across the Country
Data from official figures shows the extent of inequality often exists, sometimes over little more than a few metres of tarmac, a line of hedges or a wall. Decades of budget cuts and lack of funding have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of local authorities now have a locality classified as one of the most deprived in the country.
This spread of deprivation has led to a sharp increase in the number of places where deprived and well-off residents end up living side by side. In 2019, just 65 of the poorest areas bordered one of the wealthiest. That figure increased to 119 in the most recent data.
A Barrier Which Divides More Than Space
In Grimsby, the divide is the biggest in the UK and starkly apparent. The barrier is much more than a metaphorical division; it creates tangible difficulties for everyday life.
- School runs that should take 15-20 minutes turn into an hour-long journey.
- Access to key amenities like supermarkets, schools and care homes is hindered.
- The site often sees vandalism and loitering, with instances of rubbish being thrown over the wall and other issues.
“You try to have a well-kept home and garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one local, gesturing towards the corroded barricade.
Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Hardship
At a local community centre, workers stress that need transcends postcodes. “Your postcode doesn’t necessarily indicate your personal struggles,” said chief executive a community leader.
Regardless of being placed in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, the estate retains a fierce loyalty and feeling of togetherness among its residents. By contrast, Scartho is classified among the most prosperous 10% overall.
A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford
This phenomenon is repeated across the country. The Stanhope area in Kent, a mid-century housing development, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of areas in the country. It is immediately adjacent by large houses built in the early 2000s that are in the wealthiest tenth for employment and quality of surroundings.
“They may possess bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented a long-term resident, 63. “You’ll probably find 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 estate, while on the other side equivalent properties go for about £410,000.
Residents speak of a tangible sense of neglect. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” said holistic health worker Susan. “Over here our amenities have slowly been taken away, and most of the community problems here are to do with financial hardship.”
The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a portrait of an ever more segregated society, where prosperity and need are often uncomfortably close neighbours.
