Town with no high street banks left sees services returned with new 'banking hub'
A town in Wales that was left without a single brick-and-mortar bank has had some services restored with the opening of a new 'hub'.
In January this year, Lloyds announced its Welshpool branch would be closing, which saw the final bank leave the town's high street.
Barclays left the high street back in 2017, and Welshpool's branches of Lloyds, Barclays and HSBC eventually all followed suit.
But now, the town has welcomed a new 'banking hub' which is said to have restored access to major bank services.
Located within the former Lloyds Bank building on Broad Street, the new hub, which is operated by Cash Access UK, will offer shared banking access and services to customers of all major banks.
A 'community banker' from each bank company will be on rotation at the hub to help customers with more complex queries and issues.
The banking hub/hwb bancio will also soon feature an ATM, restoring 24-hour ATM access to Welshpool’s town centre.
Welshpool was chosen to receive a banking hub after LINK, the UK’s cash access and cash machine network, identified the need for enhanced cash deposit services following the closures of both Barclays and Lloyds branches over the past year.
It is the first banking hub to open within Mid Wales, and only the second in Wales following Prestatyn, whose hub opened earlier this month.
Craig Williams and Russell George, MP and MS respectively for Montgomeryshire, cut the ribbon on Wednesday this week.
Mr Williams said it was "fantastic news for residents".
He added: "Following the closure of the last remaining banks within the town at the beginning of this year, Russell George MS and I have been campaigning hard for banking services to remain within the town.
"The opening of the new banking hub today will restore access to all of the major banks on our high street, with an ATM to follow very soon.
“Whilst a number of conveyancing issues had created some unexpected and frustrating delays earlier this year, today’s opening of the hub is hugely positive for the area and will also help to deliver new investment to the town by giving local businesses easy access to vital banking services.
“With no banks left in towns such as Llanidloes and Machynlleth, Russell and I are working hard to bring more banking hubs to Montgomeryshire and restore high street banking services across the whole of the constituency.”
The hub will be open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. On Mondays, a member of staff from Lloyds will be on hand to help customers; Tuesdays, NatWest; Wednesdays, HSBC; Thursdays, Santander and Fridays, Barclays.
