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

In Nunsthorpe, inhabitants occupy properties only a few metres from their more affluent neighbours in nearby Scartho village. A 1.8-metre-high barricade physically divides the two communities in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, blocking off paths and streets that previously 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 suspect they’ll want to mix with us.”

An Increasingly Common National Picture

Analysis of government figures shows the extent of inequality often exists, sometimes over nothing more than a few metres of asphalt, a hedge row or a wall. Decades of budget cuts and underinvestment mean a majority of councils now contain a neighbourhood ranking as one of the poorest in the country.

The geographical widening of deprivation has led to a sharp rise in the number of places where deprived and affluent people find themselves as immediate neighbours. In 2019, only 65 of the poorest areas bordered one of the wealthiest. This number increased to 119 in the latest data.

A Barrier Which Does More Than Separate Space

In Grimsby, the divide is the most pronounced in the UK and painfully apparent. The barrier transcends being just a symbolic divide; it creates tangible difficulties for daily routines.

• School runs that ought to take a quarter of an hour become an hour-long detour.
• Access to key services like supermarkets, schools and employment centres is made more difficult.
• The site often sees antisocial behaviour, with instances of litter being dumped over the wall and other problems.

“People strive to have a well-kept home and garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one resident, motioning at the rusted barricade.

Community Spirit Amidst Hardship

Within Centre4, staff emphasise that need does not recognise 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 retains a fierce loyalty and sense of togetherness among its residents. By contrast, Scartho is classified among the least deprived 10% nationally.

A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford

This phenomenon is repeated across the country. The Stanhope area in Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in the country. It is immediately adjacent by large detached homes built in the 2000s that are in the wealthiest tenth for job prospects and living environment.

“They may possess larger properties, 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 financial divide is evident: an average family home costs about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while on the other side comparable properties fetch about £410,000.

Locals describe a palpable sense of being overlooked. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” stated resident Susan. “In this area our amenities have slowly been taken away, and most of the issues we face here are related to financial hardship.”

The increase in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a portrait of an ever more segregated England, where wealth and deprivation are often awkwardly in close proximity.