🔗 Share this article A Growing ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: The Way Affluence and Hardship Now Sit Side by Side in Across England. In Nunsthorpe, residents live in properties just several yards from their wealthier neighbours in nearby Scartho village. One six-foot-tall barricade physically separates the two areas in the town of Grimsby, blocking off roads and walkways that once linked them. “It’s the divide between rich and poor,” remarked Serenity Colley, aged 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.” A Stark National Picture Data from official statistics reveals how deep disparity often exists, at times over nothing more than a few metres of tarmac, a line of hedges or a wall. Years of budget cuts and underinvestment have led to a situation where a majority of local authorities now have a locality ranking as one of the most deprived in the nation. This geographical widening of poverty has coincided with a sharp increase in the number of locations where disadvantaged and affluent residents find themselves living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the poorest areas adjoined one of the least deprived. This number rose to 119 in the latest data. A Wall That Does More Than Separate Land In Grimsby, the divide is the biggest in the country and painfully obvious. The wall is much more than a symbolic divide; it causes very real problems for everyday life. School runs that should take 15-20 minutes turn into an hour-long journey. Reaching important amenities like supermarkets, schools and care homes is hindered. The site can attract antisocial behaviour, with instances of litter being thrown over the wall and other problems. “You try to have a well-kept home and garden, and then you live opposite that,” said one resident, gesturing towards the corroded barricade. Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Hardship Within Centre4, workers stress that need transcends addresses. “Where you live doesn’t necessarily indicate your level of challenge,” explained chief executive Tracey Good. Despite ranking in the most deprived 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, the estate boasts a strong sense and sense of togetherness among its residents. By contrast, Scartho ranks among the least deprived 10% overall. Echoes Elsewhere: Stanhope in Ashford This phenomenon is repeated across the country. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in the country. It is closely bordered by spacious detached homes built in the 2000s that are in the top 10% for job prospects and living environment. “They might have larger properties, but here there’s more community,” commented Phil Hockley, 63. “It’s likely a lot of people in the new builds never even talk to each other.” The financial divide is evident: an average three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while on the other side comparable homes go for about £410,000. Locals speak of a palpable sense of being overlooked. “This part of the community gets ignored,” stated holistic health worker Susan. “In this area our facilities have slowly been taken away, and most of the issues we face here are related to financial hardship.” The increase in these ‘inequality borders’ presents a picture of an ever more divided England, where wealth and need are often awkwardly close neighbours.
In Nunsthorpe, residents live in properties just several yards from their wealthier neighbours in nearby Scartho village. One six-foot-tall barricade physically separates the two areas in the town of Grimsby, blocking off roads and walkways that once linked them. “It’s the divide between rich and poor,” remarked Serenity Colley, aged 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.” A Stark National Picture Data from official statistics reveals how deep disparity often exists, at times over nothing more than a few metres of tarmac, a line of hedges or a wall. Years of budget cuts and underinvestment have led to a situation where a majority of local authorities now have a locality ranking as one of the most deprived in the nation. This geographical widening of poverty has coincided with a sharp increase in the number of locations where disadvantaged and affluent residents find themselves living side by side. In 2019, only 65 of the poorest areas adjoined one of the least deprived. This number rose to 119 in the latest data. A Wall That Does More Than Separate Land In Grimsby, the divide is the biggest in the country and painfully obvious. The wall is much more than a symbolic divide; it causes very real problems for everyday life. School runs that should take 15-20 minutes turn into an hour-long journey. Reaching important amenities like supermarkets, schools and care homes is hindered. The site can attract antisocial behaviour, with instances of litter being thrown over the wall and other problems. “You try to have a well-kept home and garden, and then you live opposite that,” said one resident, gesturing towards the corroded barricade. Local Bonds Against a Backdrop of Hardship Within Centre4, workers stress that need transcends addresses. “Where you live doesn’t necessarily indicate your level of challenge,” explained chief executive Tracey Good. Despite ranking in the most deprived 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, the estate boasts a strong sense and sense of togetherness among its residents. By contrast, Scartho ranks among the least deprived 10% overall. Echoes Elsewhere: Stanhope in Ashford This phenomenon is repeated across the country. The Stanhope area in Ashford, Kent, a mid-century housing development, is in the 10% most deprived of areas in the country. It is closely bordered by spacious detached homes built in the 2000s that are in the top 10% for job prospects and living environment. “They might have larger properties, but here there’s more community,” commented Phil Hockley, 63. “It’s likely a lot of people in the new builds never even talk to each other.” The financial divide is evident: an average three-bedroom house sells for about £275,000 on the Stanhope estate, while on the other side comparable homes go for about £410,000. Locals speak of a palpable sense of being overlooked. “This part of the community gets ignored,” stated holistic health worker Susan. “In this area our facilities have slowly been taken away, and most of the issues we face here are related to financial hardship.” The increase in these ‘inequality borders’ presents a picture of an ever more divided England, where wealth and need are often awkwardly close neighbours.