The Growing ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: How Prosperity and Deprivation Are Found Cheek by Jowl in Across England.

Within Nunsthorpe, residents live in properties just a few metres from their more affluent counterparts in nearby Scartho village. A 1.8-metre-high wall literally divides the two communities in the town of Grimsby, sealing off roads and walkways that previously linked them.

“This is the posh-poor divide,” said a resident, 37. “It’s been like this for as long as I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll bring it down because I don’t think they’ll want to associate with us.”

A Stark National Picture

Analysis of government statistics shows how deep disparity can run, sometimes across little more than a short distance of tarmac, a hedge row or a barrier. Decades of austerity and underinvestment have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of local authorities now have a locality classified as one of the poorest in the country.

This geographical widening of deprivation has led to a significant rise in the number of places where disadvantaged and affluent residents end up living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the most deprived areas bordered one of the wealthiest. That figure rose to 119 in the latest data.

A Barrier Which Does More Than Separate Land

In Grimsby, the divide is the biggest in the UK and painfully obvious. The wall is much more than a metaphorical division; it creates tangible difficulties for everyday life.

• School runs that ought to take a quarter of an hour become an sixty-minute detour.
• Access to key amenities like supermarkets, schools and care homes is made more difficult.
• The area can attract vandalism and loitering, with instances of rubbish being thrown over the wall and other problems.

“People strive to maintain a well-kept home and garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one local, gesturing towards the corroded barricade.

Community Spirit Amidst Challenges

At Centre4, workers stress that need transcends addresses. “Your postcode is not a reliable indicator of your personal struggles,” explained chief executive a community leader.

Despite ranking in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe boasts a strong sense and feeling of togetherness among its residents. By contrast, the neighbouring area is classified among the least deprived 10% overall.

A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent

This phenomenon is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope area in Kent, a mid-century overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in England. It is closely bordered by spacious detached homes built in the 2000s that are in the top 10% for job prospects and quality of surroundings.

“They might have larger properties, but here there’s a stronger community,” said Phil Hockley, aged 63. “You’ll probably find many people in the new builds never even talk to each other.”

The economic divide is clear: an average three-bedroom house costs about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide comparable properties go for about £410,000.

Locals describe a palpable feeling of being overlooked. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” said holistic health worker Susan Riley-Nevers. “Over here our facilities have gradually disappeared, and most of the issues we face here are to do with poverty.”

The rise in these ‘inequality borders’ presents a picture of an increasingly segregated society, where prosperity and deprivation are frequently uncomfortably in close proximity.