The Rising ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: The Way Affluence and Deprivation Are Found Cheek by Jowl in Across England.

In Nunsthorpe, residents occupy properties just a few metres from their more affluent counterparts in nearby Scartho village. A 1.8-metre-high barricade physically divides the two areas in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, blocking off roads and walkways that previously connected them.

“This is the divide between rich and poor,” remarked Serenity Colley, aged 37. “It’s been like this for as long as I’ve known. I doubt they’ll bring it down because I don’t think they’ll want to mix with us.”

An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country

Analysis of government figures shows the extent of inequality can run, at times over little more than a short distance of tarmac, a line of hedges or a wall. Years of austerity and lack of funding mean a majority of councils now have a neighbourhood classified as one of the poorest in the country.

This spread of poverty has led to a significant rise in the number of places where deprived and well-off residents end up as immediate neighbours. In 2019, just 65 of the poorest neighbourhoods adjoined one of the wealthiest. That figure rose to 119 in the most recent data.

A Barrier Which Does More Than Separate Land

At this Lincolnshire site, the divide is the most pronounced in the country and starkly obvious. The wall is much more than a metaphorical divide; it creates tangible difficulties for daily routines.

• The school commute that ought to take 15-20 minutes turn into an sixty-minute detour.
• Access to key services like supermarkets, educational facilities and care homes is made more difficult.
• The area can attract antisocial behaviour, with instances of litter being thrown over the wall and related problems.

“You try to maintain a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one local, gesturing towards the corroded barricade.

Local Bonds Amidst Hardship

At a local community centre, workers emphasise that support transcends addresses. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” said chief executive Tracey Good.

Regardless of ranking in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe boasts a fierce loyalty and sense of community among its residents. By contrast, the neighbouring area ranks among the most prosperous 10% nationally.

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 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in England. It is closely bordered by spacious detached homes built in the early 2000s that sit in the top 10% for employment and quality of surroundings.

“They may possess bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” said Phil Hockley, aged 63. “It’s likely a lot of people over there never even talk to each other.”

The economic gap is clear: an typical family home sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while on the other side equivalent homes go for about £410,000.

Locals describe a palpable sense of neglect. “Our neighbourhood gets ignored,” stated resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our facilities have slowly been taken away, and most of the community problems here are related to poverty.”

The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a picture of an increasingly divided society, where wealth and deprivation are often uncomfortably close neighbours.