A Growing ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: The Way Affluence and Deprivation Now Sit Side by Side in England.

Within a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, inhabitants occupy homes just a few metres from their more affluent counterparts in the adjacent Scartho. A 1.8-metre-high barricade literally separates the two communities in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, sealing off roads and walkways that previously connected them.

“It’s the posh-poor divide,” said Serenity Colley, 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I doubt they’ll bring it down because I suspect they’ll want to associate with us.”

An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country

Data from government figures shows the extent of inequality often exists, sometimes across nothing more than a short distance of asphalt, a hedge row or a wall. Years of budget cuts and underinvestment mean a majority of councils now contain a neighbourhood classified as one of the poorest in the country.

This geographical widening of poverty has led to a significant rise in the quantity of locations where deprived and well-off people find themselves living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the most deprived areas adjoined one of the least deprived. This number increased to 119 in the latest data.

A Barrier Which Divides More Than Land

At this Lincolnshire site, the divide is the biggest in the country and starkly apparent. The barrier is much more than a metaphorical division; it creates very real problems for daily routines.

• The school commute that ought to take 15-20 minutes become an hour-long detour.
• Reaching important amenities like supermarkets, educational facilities and employment centres 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 well-kept home and garden, and then you live opposite that,” noted one resident, gesturing towards the rusted barricade.

Community Spirit Amidst Hardship

At Centre4, workers stress that support transcends postcodes. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your level of challenge,” explained chief executive a community leader.

Regardless of ranking in the most deprived 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, the estate boasts a strong sense and sense of community among its residents. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area ranks among the least deprived 10% overall.

A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford

This pattern is repeated nationally. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a 1960s housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in the country. It is closely bordered by spacious houses built in the 2000s that sit in the wealthiest tenth for employment and quality of surroundings.

“They might have bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented 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 equivalent homes go for about £410,000.

Locals speak of a tangible sense of neglect. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” said resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our facilities have slowly been taken away, and the majority of the community problems here are to do with financial hardship.”

The rise in these ‘inequality borders’ paints a portrait of an increasingly segregated society, where prosperity and need are frequently awkwardly in close proximity.