The Rising ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: How Prosperity and Hardship Are Found Cheek by Jowl in England.
Within a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents live in homes only a few metres from their wealthier neighbours in nearby Scartho. One six-foot-tall wall physically divides the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, sealing off paths and streets that once connected them.
“It’s the posh-poor divide,” said a resident, aged 37. “It’s been like this for as long as I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll bring it down because I suspect they’ll want to associate with us.”
An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country
Analysis of government figures reveals the extent of disparity often exists, sometimes over nothing more than a few metres of tarmac, a line of hedges or a wall. Years of budget cuts and lack of funding mean a majority of local authorities now contain a neighbourhood ranking as one of the most deprived in the country.
The geographical widening of deprivation has coincided with a sharp rise in the number of locations where disadvantaged and well-off residents end up living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods adjoined one of the wealthiest. This number rose to 119 in the latest data.
A Wall That Does More Than Separate Space
At this Lincolnshire site, the divide is the most pronounced in the UK and painfully apparent. The wall is much more than a metaphorical division; it creates very real problems for everyday life.
- The school commute that ought to take 15-20 minutes become an sixty-minute journey.
- Access to important services like supermarkets, schools and employment centres is hindered.
- The area can attract vandalism and loitering, with instances of litter being dumped over the wall and other problems.
“People strive to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one local, motioning at the corroded metal wall.
Community Spirit Against a Backdrop of Challenges
Within a local community centre, workers emphasise that need transcends addresses. “Your postcode doesn’t necessarily indicate your level of challenge,” said director Tracey Good.
Despite being placed in the lowest 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, the estate boasts a fierce loyalty and sense of togetherness among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, Scartho ranks among the least deprived 10% overall.
Echoes Elsewhere: Stanhope in Ashford
This pattern is repeated across the country. The Stanhope estate in Ashford, Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in England. It is immediately adjacent by large detached homes built in the 2000s that are in the wealthiest tenth for employment and living environment.
“They may possess bigger houses, but here there’s more community,” said Phil Hockley, aged 63. “You’ll probably find many people in the new builds don’t even speak to each other.”
The economic gap is evident: an average three-bedroom house costs about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while on the other side comparable homes go for about £410,000.
Locals describe a tangible sense of being overlooked. “This part of the community gets ignored,” stated resident Susan. “In this area our amenities have gradually disappeared, and most of the community problems here are related to poverty.”
The increase in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a portrait of an ever more divided society, where wealth and deprivation are often awkwardly close neighbours.
