🔗 Share this article The Rising ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: The Way Prosperity and Deprivation Are Found Cheek by Jowl in Across England. Within Nunsthorpe, inhabitants occupy properties only several yards from their wealthier neighbours in the adjacent Scartho. One 1.8-metre-high barricade physically divides the two communities in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, blocking off paths and streets that once 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 suspect they’ll want to associate with us.” An Increasingly Common National Picture Analysis of government figures shows the extent of inequality often exists, at times over little more than a few metres of tarmac, a line of hedges or a barrier. Years of austerity and lack of funding mean almost two-thirds of councils now have a neighbourhood classified as one of the poorest in the country. The geographical widening of deprivation has coincided with a significant rise in the quantity of places where disadvantaged and well-off people end up living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the most deprived neighbourhoods bordered one of the least deprived. This number rose to 119 in the most recent data. A Barrier Which Divides More Than Space At this Lincolnshire site, the gap is the most pronounced in the country and painfully obvious. The wall is much more than a metaphorical division; it causes very real problems for everyday life. The school commute that should take 15-20 minutes become an hour-long journey. Access to key amenities like supermarkets, educational facilities and care homes is hindered. The area often sees antisocial behaviour, with instances of rubbish being dumped over the wall and other issues. “You try to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you live opposite that,” noted one local, motioning at the rusted barricade. Local Bonds Amidst Hardship At a local community centre, staff emphasise that support transcends postcodes. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” explained chief executive Tracey Good. Regardless of being placed in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, the estate retains a strong sense and feeling of community among its inhabitants. By contrast, the neighbouring area ranks among the least deprived 10% overall. A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford This phenomenon is mirrored nationally. The Stanhope estate in Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of neighbourhoods in England. It is closely bordered by spacious houses built in the 2000s that sit in the wealthiest tenth for employment and living environment. “They may possess bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” said a long-term resident, 63. “You’ll probably find many people over there don’t even speak to each other.” The economic gap is evident: an typical family home costs about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide equivalent properties fetch about £410,000. Locals describe a palpable feeling of being overlooked. “This part of the community is neglected,” said holistic health worker Susan. “In this area our facilities have gradually disappeared, and most of the issues we face here are to do with poverty.” The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a picture of an ever more segregated society, where prosperity and deprivation are frequently uncomfortably close neighbours.
Within Nunsthorpe, inhabitants occupy properties only several yards from their wealthier neighbours in the adjacent Scartho. One 1.8-metre-high barricade physically divides the two communities in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, blocking off paths and streets that once 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 suspect they’ll want to associate with us.” An Increasingly Common National Picture Analysis of government figures shows the extent of inequality often exists, at times over little more than a few metres of tarmac, a line of hedges or a barrier. Years of austerity and lack of funding mean almost two-thirds of councils now have a neighbourhood classified as one of the poorest in the country. The geographical widening of deprivation has coincided with a significant rise in the quantity of places where disadvantaged and well-off people end up living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the most deprived neighbourhoods bordered one of the least deprived. This number rose to 119 in the most recent data. A Barrier Which Divides More Than Space At this Lincolnshire site, the gap is the most pronounced in the country and painfully obvious. The wall is much more than a metaphorical division; it causes very real problems for everyday life. The school commute that should take 15-20 minutes become an hour-long journey. Access to key amenities like supermarkets, educational facilities and care homes is hindered. The area often sees antisocial behaviour, with instances of rubbish being dumped over the wall and other issues. “You try to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you live opposite that,” noted one local, motioning at the rusted barricade. Local Bonds Amidst Hardship At a local community centre, staff emphasise that support transcends postcodes. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” explained chief executive Tracey Good. Regardless of being placed in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, the estate retains a strong sense and feeling of community among its inhabitants. By contrast, the neighbouring area ranks among the least deprived 10% overall. A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford This phenomenon is mirrored nationally. The Stanhope estate in Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of neighbourhoods in England. It is closely bordered by spacious houses built in the 2000s that sit in the wealthiest tenth for employment and living environment. “They may possess bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” said a long-term resident, 63. “You’ll probably find many people over there don’t even speak to each other.” The economic gap is evident: an typical family home costs about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide equivalent properties fetch about £410,000. Locals describe a palpable feeling of being overlooked. “This part of the community is neglected,” said holistic health worker Susan. “In this area our facilities have gradually disappeared, and most of the issues we face here are to do with poverty.” The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a picture of an ever more segregated society, where prosperity and deprivation are frequently uncomfortably close neighbours.