🔗 Share this article The Growing ‘Posh-Poor Divide’: How Prosperity and Deprivation Are Found Cheek by Jowl in England. Within Nunsthorpe, inhabitants occupy properties just a few metres from their more affluent neighbours in nearby Scartho. A six-foot-tall barricade literally divides the two areas in the town of Grimsby, blocking off roads and walkways that previously linked them. “It’s the divide between rich and poor,” said a resident, 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll bring it down because I suspect they’ll want to mix with us.” A Stark National Picture Analysis of government figures reveals how deep disparity often exists, sometimes across nothing more than a short distance of tarmac, a hedge row or a barrier. Years of austerity and lack of funding mean a majority of local authorities now contain a locality classified as one of the most deprived in the country. The geographical widening of deprivation has led to a significant rise in the number of places where disadvantaged and affluent people find themselves as immediate neighbours. Just a few years ago, only 65 of the most deprived neighbourhoods adjoined one of the least deprived. This number rose to 119 in the latest data. A Barrier Which Divides More Than Land In Grimsby, the divide is the most pronounced in the country and painfully obvious. The barrier transcends being just a metaphorical division; it causes tangible difficulties for everyday life. The school commute that ought to take a quarter of an hour become an hour-long journey. Access to key amenities like grocery stores, schools and employment centres is hindered. The site can attract vandalism and loitering, with reports of rubbish being thrown over the wall and other issues. “You try to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you live opposite that,” said one resident, motioning at the corroded barricade. Local Bonds Amidst Hardship Within Centre4, staff stress that need does not recognise addresses. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your personal struggles,” explained chief executive a community leader. Despite ranking in the lowest 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, the estate retains a strong sense and feeling of community among its inhabitants. By contrast, Scartho ranks among the least deprived 10% nationally. A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent This pattern is repeated nationally. The Stanhope estate in Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in the country. It is immediately adjacent by spacious detached homes built in the 2000s that sit in the wealthiest tenth for job prospects and living environment. “They may possess bigger houses, but here there’s more community,” said Phil Hockley, 63. “You’ll probably find many people over there never even talk to each other.” The financial gap is evident: an typical family home sells for about £275,000 on the estate, while on the other side comparable properties go for about £410,000. Locals describe a tangible sense of being overlooked. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” stated resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our amenities have gradually disappeared, and the majority of the community problems here are to do with poverty.” The increase in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a portrait of an increasingly divided society, where wealth and need are frequently awkwardly close neighbours.
Within Nunsthorpe, inhabitants occupy properties just a few metres from their more affluent neighbours in nearby Scartho. A six-foot-tall barricade literally divides the two areas in the town of Grimsby, blocking off roads and walkways that previously linked them. “It’s the divide between rich and poor,” said a resident, 37. “It has been there since I’ve known. I don’t think they’ll bring it down because I suspect they’ll want to mix with us.” A Stark National Picture Analysis of government figures reveals how deep disparity often exists, sometimes across nothing more than a short distance of tarmac, a hedge row or a barrier. Years of austerity and lack of funding mean a majority of local authorities now contain a locality classified as one of the most deprived in the country. The geographical widening of deprivation has led to a significant rise in the number of places where disadvantaged and affluent people find themselves as immediate neighbours. Just a few years ago, only 65 of the most deprived neighbourhoods adjoined one of the least deprived. This number rose to 119 in the latest data. A Barrier Which Divides More Than Land In Grimsby, the divide is the most pronounced in the country and painfully obvious. The barrier transcends being just a metaphorical division; it causes tangible difficulties for everyday life. The school commute that ought to take a quarter of an hour become an hour-long journey. Access to key amenities like grocery stores, schools and employment centres is hindered. The site can attract vandalism and loitering, with reports of rubbish being thrown over the wall and other issues. “You try to have a nice house and nice garden, and then you live opposite that,” said one resident, motioning at the corroded barricade. Local Bonds Amidst Hardship Within Centre4, staff stress that need does not recognise addresses. “Where you live is not a reliable indicator of your personal struggles,” explained chief executive a community leader. Despite ranking in the lowest 10% for income, employment, education, health and crime, the estate retains a strong sense and feeling of community among its inhabitants. By contrast, Scartho ranks among the least deprived 10% nationally. A Similar Story: An Estate in Kent This pattern is repeated nationally. The Stanhope estate in Kent, a 1960s overspill estate, is in the 10% most deprived of neighbourhoods in the country. It is immediately adjacent by spacious detached homes built in the 2000s that sit in the wealthiest tenth for job prospects and living environment. “They may possess bigger houses, but here there’s more community,” said Phil Hockley, 63. “You’ll probably find many people over there never even talk to each other.” The financial gap is evident: an typical family home sells for about £275,000 on the estate, while on the other side comparable properties go for about £410,000. Locals describe a tangible sense of being overlooked. “Our neighbourhood is neglected,” stated resident Susan Riley-Nevers. “In this area our amenities have gradually disappeared, and the majority of the community problems here are to do with poverty.” The increase in these ‘deprivation divides’ presents a portrait of an increasingly divided society, where wealth and need are frequently awkwardly close neighbours.