🔗 Share this article A Growing ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: The Way Prosperity and Hardship Are Found Side by Side in England. Within Nunsthorpe, inhabitants live in properties only several yards from their more affluent counterparts in the adjacent Scartho. One 1.8-metre-high wall literally divides the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, sealing off paths and streets that once linked them. “This is the divide between rich and poor,” said Serenity Colley, 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 government figures reveals the extent of disparity can run, sometimes across little more than a short distance of asphalt, a hedge row or a wall. Years of austerity and lack of funding have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of councils now have a locality classified as one of the poorest in the country. The geographical widening of deprivation has coincided with a sharp rise in the quantity of places where disadvantaged and well-off residents end up living side by side. Just a few years ago, just 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods adjoined one of the least deprived. This number increased to 119 in the most recent data. A Wall That Divides More Than Land In Grimsby, the divide is the most pronounced in the UK and starkly apparent. The wall is much more than a metaphorical divide; it causes very real problems for everyday life. The school commute that ought to take 15-20 minutes become an hour-long detour. Access to key services like grocery stores, educational facilities and employment centres is made more difficult. The area can attract vandalism and loitering, with reports of rubbish being thrown over the wall and related issues. “People strive to maintain a nice house and nice garden, and then you live opposite that,” noted one local, motioning at the corroded metal wall. Community Spirit Amidst Hardship At a local community centre, staff stress that support transcends addresses. “Your postcode doesn’t necessarily indicate your personal struggles,” said chief executive Tracey Good. Regardless of ranking in the lowest 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, Nunsthorpe boasts a fierce loyalty and feeling of togetherness among its inhabitants. By contrast, Scartho ranks among the most prosperous 10% overall. A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford This pattern is repeated across the country. The Stanhope estate in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century housing development, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of areas in England. It is closely bordered by spacious houses built in the early 2000s that are in the wealthiest tenth for employment and living environment. “They might have larger properties, but here there’s a stronger community,” said Phil Hockley, 63. “It’s likely many people in the new builds don’t even speak to each other.” The financial gap is evident: an average family home costs about £275,000 on the estate, while on the other side comparable properties fetch about £410,000. Locals speak of a tangible feeling of neglect. “Our neighbourhood gets ignored,” stated holistic health worker Susan Riley-Nevers. “Over here our amenities have gradually disappeared, and the majority of the issues we face here are to do with financial hardship.” The increase in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a portrait of an increasingly divided society, where prosperity and deprivation are often awkwardly in close proximity.
Within Nunsthorpe, inhabitants live in properties only several yards from their more affluent counterparts in the adjacent Scartho. One 1.8-metre-high wall literally divides the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, sealing off paths and streets that once linked them. “This is the divide between rich and poor,” said Serenity Colley, 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 government figures reveals the extent of disparity can run, sometimes across little more than a short distance of asphalt, a hedge row or a wall. Years of austerity and lack of funding have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of councils now have a locality classified as one of the poorest in the country. The geographical widening of deprivation has coincided with a sharp rise in the quantity of places where disadvantaged and well-off residents end up living side by side. Just a few years ago, just 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods adjoined one of the least deprived. This number increased to 119 in the most recent data. A Wall That Divides More Than Land In Grimsby, the divide is the most pronounced in the UK and starkly apparent. The wall is much more than a metaphorical divide; it causes very real problems for everyday life. The school commute that ought to take 15-20 minutes become an hour-long detour. Access to key services like grocery stores, educational facilities and employment centres is made more difficult. The area can attract vandalism and loitering, with reports of rubbish being thrown over the wall and related issues. “People strive to maintain a nice house and nice garden, and then you live opposite that,” noted one local, motioning at the corroded metal wall. Community Spirit Amidst Hardship At a local community centre, staff stress that support transcends addresses. “Your postcode doesn’t necessarily indicate your personal struggles,” said chief executive Tracey Good. Regardless of ranking in the lowest 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, Nunsthorpe boasts a fierce loyalty and feeling of togetherness among its inhabitants. By contrast, Scartho ranks among the most prosperous 10% overall. A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford This pattern is repeated across the country. The Stanhope estate in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century housing development, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of areas in England. It is closely bordered by spacious houses built in the early 2000s that are in the wealthiest tenth for employment and living environment. “They might have larger properties, but here there’s a stronger community,” said Phil Hockley, 63. “It’s likely many people in the new builds don’t even speak to each other.” The financial gap is evident: an average family home costs about £275,000 on the estate, while on the other side comparable properties fetch about £410,000. Locals speak of a tangible feeling of neglect. “Our neighbourhood gets ignored,” stated holistic health worker Susan Riley-Nevers. “Over here our amenities have gradually disappeared, and the majority of the issues we face here are to do with financial hardship.” The increase in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a portrait of an increasingly divided society, where prosperity and deprivation are often awkwardly in close proximity.