The Rising ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: How Affluence and Deprivation Now Sit Cheek by Jowl in Across England.

In a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, inhabitants live in homes just several yards from their wealthier counterparts in nearby Scartho. One six-foot-tall barricade literally separates the two areas in the town of Grimsby, sealing off roads and walkways that previously linked them.

“This is the posh-poor divide,” remarked a resident, aged 37. “It’s been like this 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.”

An Increasingly Common National Picture

Data from official figures shows the extent of inequality can run, sometimes over nothing more than a few metres of tarmac, a line of hedges or a barrier. Years of budget cuts and underinvestment have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of councils now contain a locality ranking as one of the poorest in the country.

This spread of deprivation has led to a significant rise in the number of locations where deprived and well-off residents 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 Wall That Divides More Than Land

In Grimsby, the gap is the most pronounced in the country and starkly obvious. The wall transcends being just a metaphorical divide; it creates very real problems for everyday life.

• School runs that ought to take a quarter of an hour become an sixty-minute detour.
• Access to key amenities like grocery stores, schools and care homes is hindered.
• The area often sees vandalism and loitering, with instances of rubbish being dumped over the wall and other problems.

“You try to maintain a well-kept home and garden, and then you live opposite that,” noted one local, gesturing towards the corroded metal wall.

Community Spirit Amidst Hardship

Within a local community centre, workers emphasise that need does not recognise addresses. “Your postcode is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” explained director Tracey Good.

Regardless of being placed in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, the estate retains a fierce loyalty and sense of togetherness among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, Scartho ranks among the most prosperous 10% overall.

A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford

This phenomenon is repeated nationally. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in the country. It is closely bordered by large detached homes built in the 2000s that sit in the top 10% for job prospects and quality of surroundings.

“They may possess larger properties, but here there’s more community,” commented a long-term resident, 63. “It’s likely many people over there never even talk to each other.”

The economic divide is evident: an average family home costs about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while on the other side comparable homes go for about £410,000.

Locals speak of a tangible feeling of being overlooked. “This part of the community gets ignored,” said resident Susan. “Over here our amenities have slowly been taken away, and the majority of the issues we face here are to do with poverty.”

The rise in these ‘inequality borders’ presents a picture of an ever more divided England, where wealth and need are often uncomfortably in close proximity.