🔗 Share this article A Rising ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: The Way Affluence and Deprivation Now Sit Cheek by Jowl in Across England. In Nunsthorpe, inhabitants live in properties only a few metres from their more affluent counterparts in nearby Scartho. One six-foot-tall wall literally divides the two communities in the town of Grimsby, blocking off roads and walkways that previously connected them. “This is the divide between rich and poor,” said Serenity Colley, 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I doubt they’ll take it down because I suspect they’ll want to associate with us.” A Stark Pattern Across the Country Data from official statistics shows how deep inequality can run, sometimes across little more than a few metres of asphalt, a line of hedges or a barrier. Years of austerity and underinvestment have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of local authorities now contain a locality ranking as one of the poorest in the country. The spread of deprivation has led to a sharp rise in the quantity of places where disadvantaged and affluent people end up as immediate neighbours. Just a few years ago, only 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods bordered one of the least deprived. This number rose to 119 in the latest data. A Barrier Which Does More Than Separate Land At this Lincolnshire site, the divide is the biggest in the UK and painfully apparent. The wall transcends being just a metaphorical division; it creates tangible problems for daily routines. The school commute that should take 15-20 minutes turn into an sixty-minute detour. Reaching important services like supermarkets, educational facilities and employment centres is hindered. The site often sees vandalism and loitering, with instances of litter being dumped over the wall and related issues. “You try to have a well-kept home and garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one local, motioning at the corroded barricade. Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Challenges Within a local community centre, workers emphasise that need does not recognise addresses. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your personal struggles,” explained director Tracey Good. Despite ranking in the lowest 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe retains a strong sense and sense of togetherness among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area is classified among the most prosperous 10% overall. A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford This pattern is repeated across the country. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of neighbourhoods in the country. It is closely bordered by large detached homes built in the early 2000s that are in the top 10% for employment and living environment. “They might have larger properties, but here there’s a stronger community,” said a long-term resident, aged 63. “You’ll probably find many people in the new builds never even talk to each other.” The economic gap is clear: an average three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide equivalent properties go for about £410,000. Residents describe a palpable sense of neglect. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” said holistic health worker Susan. “In this area our facilities have slowly been taken away, and the majority of the issues we face here are to do with poverty.” The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ paints a picture of an increasingly divided England, where prosperity and deprivation are often uncomfortably in close proximity.
In Nunsthorpe, inhabitants live in properties only a few metres from their more affluent counterparts in nearby Scartho. One six-foot-tall wall literally divides the two communities in the town of Grimsby, blocking off roads and walkways that previously connected them. “This is the divide between rich and poor,” said Serenity Colley, 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I doubt they’ll take it down because I suspect they’ll want to associate with us.” A Stark Pattern Across the Country Data from official statistics shows how deep inequality can run, sometimes across little more than a few metres of asphalt, a line of hedges or a barrier. Years of austerity and underinvestment have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of local authorities now contain a locality ranking as one of the poorest in the country. The spread of deprivation has led to a sharp rise in the quantity of places where disadvantaged and affluent people end up as immediate neighbours. Just a few years ago, only 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods bordered one of the least deprived. This number rose to 119 in the latest data. A Barrier Which Does More Than Separate Land At this Lincolnshire site, the divide is the biggest in the UK and painfully apparent. The wall transcends being just a metaphorical division; it creates tangible problems for daily routines. The school commute that should take 15-20 minutes turn into an sixty-minute detour. Reaching important services like supermarkets, educational facilities and employment centres is hindered. The site often sees vandalism and loitering, with instances of litter being dumped over the wall and related issues. “You try to have a well-kept home and garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one local, motioning at the corroded barricade. Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Challenges Within a local community centre, workers emphasise that need does not recognise addresses. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your personal struggles,” explained director Tracey Good. Despite ranking in the lowest 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe retains a strong sense and sense of togetherness among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area is classified among the most prosperous 10% overall. A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford This pattern is repeated across the country. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of neighbourhoods in the country. It is closely bordered by large detached homes built in the early 2000s that are in the top 10% for employment and living environment. “They might have larger properties, but here there’s a stronger community,” said a long-term resident, aged 63. “You’ll probably find many people in the new builds never even talk to each other.” The economic gap is clear: an average three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide equivalent properties go for about £410,000. Residents describe a palpable sense of neglect. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” said holistic health worker Susan. “In this area our facilities have slowly been taken away, and the majority of the issues we face here are to do with poverty.” The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ paints a picture of an increasingly divided England, where prosperity and deprivation are often uncomfortably in close proximity.