The Rising ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: How Prosperity and Hardship Are Found Side by Side in England.
Within a postwar estate known as ‘The Nunny’, residents occupy properties only several yards from their wealthier counterparts in nearby Scartho village. A 1.8-metre-high wall physically separates the two communities in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, blocking off roads and walkways that previously linked them.
“This is the posh-poor divide,” said a resident, aged 37. “It’s been like this since I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll take it down because I suspect they’ll want to associate with us.”
A Stark National Picture
Data from government figures reveals the extent of disparity often exists, at times across nothing more than a short distance of tarmac, a hedge row or a barrier. Years of budget cuts and lack of funding mean a majority of local authorities now contain a locality classified as one of the poorest in the nation.
The geographical widening of deprivation has led to a significant rise in the quantity of places where disadvantaged and affluent residents end up living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the most deprived areas bordered one of the wealthiest. This number rose to 119 in the most recent data.
A Wall That Does More Than Separate Space
In Grimsby, the divide is the most pronounced in the UK and starkly obvious. The wall is much more than a metaphorical division; it causes tangible difficulties for daily routines.
- School runs that ought to take a quarter of an hour turn into an hour-long journey.
- Access to important amenities like supermarkets, educational facilities and employment centres is hindered.
- The site often sees vandalism and loitering, with instances of litter being thrown over the wall and related issues.
“You try to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one local, gesturing towards the rusted metal wall.
Community Spirit Amidst Hardship
At Centre4, staff emphasise that support transcends postcodes. “Your postcode doesn’t necessarily indicate your personal struggles,” said chief executive Tracey Good.
Regardless of being placed in the lowest 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, the estate boasts a strong sense and sense of community among its residents. By contrast, Scartho is classified among the least deprived 10% overall.
A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford
This phenomenon is repeated across the country. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a 1960s housing development, is in the most disadvantaged tenth of areas in the country. It is immediately adjacent by large detached homes built in the early 2000s that sit in the wealthiest tenth for job prospects and living environment.
“They might have bigger houses, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented Phil Hockley, aged 63. “You’ll probably find many people over there never even talk to each other.”
The economic divide is clear: an average family home costs about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while across the divide equivalent homes fetch about £410,000.
Locals describe a palpable feeling of neglect. “Our neighbourhood gets ignored,” stated resident Susan. “Over here our facilities have slowly been taken away, and most of the community problems here are related to financial hardship.”
The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ paints a picture of an ever more segregated society, where prosperity and deprivation are often uncomfortably close neighbours.
