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

In Nunsthorpe, residents live in properties only a few metres from their wealthier counterparts in nearby Scartho village. One 1.8-metre-high wall literally divides the two areas in the town of Grimsby, sealing off paths and streets that previously linked them.

“This is the posh-poor divide,” remarked a resident, 37. “It’s been like this since 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

Data from official figures shows the extent of disparity can run, sometimes over little more than a few metres of asphalt, a line of hedges or a barrier. Years of budget cuts and lack of funding have led to a situation where a majority of local authorities now contain a locality ranking as one of the most deprived in the country.

This geographical widening of deprivation has led to a sharp rise in the number of places where deprived and well-off people find themselves as immediate neighbours. In 2019, only 65 of the poorest areas adjoined one of the wealthiest. This number increased to 119 in the most recent data.

A Wall That Divides More Than Space

In Grimsby, the gap is the most pronounced in the UK and painfully apparent. The wall transcends being just a metaphorical divide; it causes tangible problems for daily routines.

• The school commute that ought to take 15-20 minutes turn into an hour-long detour.
• Access to key amenities like supermarkets, schools and employment centres is hindered.
• The area often sees antisocial behaviour, with reports of rubbish being dumped over the wall and related problems.

“You try to maintain a well-kept home and garden, and then you reside facing that,” said one resident, motioning at the corroded metal wall.

Community Spirit Amidst Challenges

Within Centre4, workers stress that need transcends addresses. “Your postcode doesn’t necessarily indicate your level of challenge,” said chief executive a community leader.

Despite ranking in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, Nunsthorpe boasts a fierce loyalty and sense of togetherness among its residents. By contrast, the neighbouring area is classified among the least deprived 10% overall.

Echoes Elsewhere: Stanhope in Ashford

This phenomenon is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope area in Kent, a 1960s housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in England. It is immediately adjacent by large houses built in the 2000s that sit in the top 10% for job prospects and living environment.

“They might have bigger houses, but here there’s more community,” said Phil Hockley, aged 63. “It’s likely many people in the new builds never even talk to each other.”

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

Residents describe a palpable sense of being overlooked. “Our neighbourhood gets ignored,” said resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our facilities have gradually disappeared, and the majority of the issues we face here are to do with poverty.”

The increase in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a picture of an ever more divided England, where prosperity and need are frequently awkwardly close neighbours.