The Growing ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: How Prosperity and Hardship Now Sit Cheek by Jowl in England.

Within a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, inhabitants occupy properties just a few metres from their more affluent counterparts in the adjacent Scartho village. One six-foot-tall barricade physically separates the two communities 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 for as long as I’ve known. I doubt they’ll bring it down because I don’t think they’ll want to associate with us.”

A Stark National Picture

Data from government statistics shows the extent of inequality can run, at times across little more than a few metres of asphalt, a line of hedges or a wall. Years of austerity and lack of funding mean almost two-thirds of local authorities now have a locality classified as one of the most deprived in the country.

This spread of poverty has coincided with a sharp increase in the number of locations where disadvantaged and well-off residents find themselves living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the poorest areas bordered one of the wealthiest. This number rose to 119 in the most recent data.

A Barrier Which Does More Than Separate Land

In Grimsby, the divide is the most pronounced in the country and painfully apparent. The wall transcends being just a metaphorical divide; it causes tangible difficulties for everyday life.

• School runs that should take 15-20 minutes become an hour-long journey.
• Reaching important amenities like supermarkets, schools and employment centres is made more difficult.
• The site often sees antisocial behaviour, with reports of rubbish being dumped over the wall and other problems.

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

Community Spirit Against a Backdrop of Challenges

At Centre4, workers stress that need transcends addresses. “Your postcode doesn’t necessarily indicate your level of challenge,” explained chief executive a community leader.

Despite being placed in the lowest 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe retains a strong sense and sense of community among its residents. Meanwhile, Scartho is classified among the least deprived 10% nationally.

Echoes Elsewhere: An Estate in Kent

This pattern is repeated across the country. The Stanhope estate in Kent, a 1960s housing development, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of areas in the country. It is immediately adjacent by large detached homes built in the 2000s that sit in the top 10% for job prospects and living environment.

“They may possess bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” said Phil Hockley, 63. “It’s likely a lot of people over there never even talk to each other.”

The economic gap is evident: an typical three-bedroom house costs about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide comparable properties fetch about £410,000.

Locals speak of a palpable feeling of being overlooked. “This part of the community gets ignored,” stated resident Susan. “In this area our facilities have gradually disappeared, and the majority of the community problems here are to do with poverty.”

The increase in these ‘inequality borders’ paints a picture of an ever more divided society, where prosperity and deprivation are often uncomfortably in close proximity.