A Rising ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: How Affluence and Hardship Now Sit Side by Side in England.

In Nunsthorpe, residents live in properties only a few metres from their wealthier counterparts in the adjacent Scartho village. One six-foot-tall wall literally separates the two communities in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, sealing off paths and streets that previously linked them.

“This is the divide between rich and poor,” said a resident, 37. “It has been there for as long as I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll take it down because I don’t think they’ll want to associate with us.”

An Increasingly Common Pattern Across the Country

Analysis of government figures shows the extent of inequality often exists, sometimes across little more than a short distance of tarmac, a line of hedges or a wall. Years of austerity and lack of funding have led to a situation where almost two-thirds of councils now have a locality ranking as one of the poorest in the country.

This spread of deprivation has led to a sharp increase in the quantity of locations where disadvantaged and affluent residents find themselves living side by side. In 2019, just 65 of the most deprived areas adjoined one of the wealthiest. That figure rose to 119 in the most recent data.

A Barrier Which Does More Than Separate Land

At this Lincolnshire site, the gap is the biggest in the country and painfully obvious. The barrier transcends being just a symbolic divide; it causes very real problems for everyday life.

• The school commute that ought to take 15-20 minutes turn into an hour-long detour.
• Reaching key amenities like supermarkets, schools and employment centres is hindered.
• The area can attract antisocial behaviour, with instances of litter being thrown over the wall and other problems.

“People strive to maintain a well-kept home and garden, and then you reside facing that,” noted one local, gesturing towards the rusted barricade.

Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Challenges

Within Centre4, staff emphasise that support does not recognise addresses. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your personal struggles,” said director a community leader.

Despite ranking in the most deprived 10% for multiple deprivation indicators, the estate boasts a fierce loyalty and sense of community among its residents. Meanwhile, Scartho ranks among the least deprived 10% nationally.

A Similar Story: Stanhope in Ashford

This phenomenon is mirrored across the country. The Stanhope area in Kent, a mid-century housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods 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 might have bigger houses, but here there’s more community,” said Phil Hockley, 63. “You’ll probably find a lot of people in the new builds never even talk to each other.”

The financial divide is clear: an typical family home sells for about £275,000 on the estate, while on the other side equivalent properties go for about £410,000.

Locals describe a tangible feeling of neglect. “This part of the community is neglected,” stated resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our facilities have gradually disappeared, and most of the community problems here are related to poverty.”

The increase in these ‘inequality borders’ presents a picture of an increasingly segregated England, where wealth and deprivation are frequently uncomfortably close neighbours.