A Growing ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: The Way Prosperity and Deprivation Are Found Cheek by Jowl in Across England.
Within Nunsthorpe, residents live in properties just a few metres from their wealthier counterparts in the adjacent Scartho. A six-foot-tall wall physically divides the two areas in the town of Grimsby, blocking off paths and streets that once connected them.
“This is the divide between rich and poor,” remarked Serenity Colley, 37. “It has been there for as long as I’ve known. I doubt they’ll take it down because I suspect they’ll want to mix with us.”
An Increasingly Common National Picture
Analysis of official statistics shows the extent of disparity can run, sometimes across little more than a few metres of tarmac, a line of hedges or a wall. Decades of austerity and underinvestment have led to a situation where a majority of councils now contain a locality ranking as one of the most deprived in the nation.
The geographical widening of deprivation has coincided with a significant increase in the number of locations where disadvantaged and affluent residents end up as immediate neighbours. Just a few years ago, only 65 of the most deprived areas adjoined one of the wealthiest. This number rose to 119 in the most recent data.
A Wall That Does More Than Separate Land
In Grimsby, the gap is the biggest in the country and starkly obvious. The wall is much more than a metaphorical divide; it causes very real problems for daily routines.
- The school commute that should take a quarter of an hour become an hour-long detour.
- Reaching key amenities like supermarkets, schools and employment centres is hindered.
- The site can attract antisocial behaviour, with reports of rubbish being thrown over the wall and other problems.
“You try to have a well-kept home and garden, and then you live opposite that,” noted one local, gesturing towards the corroded barricade.
Community Spirit Against a Backdrop of Challenges
Within Centre4, staff emphasise that support transcends addresses. “Where you live doesn’t necessarily indicate your level of challenge,” explained chief executive a community leader.
Regardless of ranking in the lowest 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, the estate boasts a strong sense and sense of togetherness among its inhabitants. Meanwhile, the neighbouring area is classified among the most prosperous 10% overall.
A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent
This pattern is repeated nationally. The Stanhope estate in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in the country. It is closely bordered by spacious detached homes built in the early 2000s that sit in the top 10% for job prospects and quality of surroundings.
“They may possess larger properties, but here there’s a stronger community,” commented Phil Hockley, aged 63. “It’s likely many people over there never even talk to each other.”
The economic divide is evident: an average family home costs about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while on the other side equivalent homes go for about £410,000.
Locals describe a palpable feeling of being overlooked. “This part of the community is neglected,” said resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “Over here our amenities have gradually disappeared, and the majority of the community problems here are related to poverty.”
The rise in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a picture of an ever more divided England, where prosperity and need are frequently uncomfortably in close proximity.
