Fight continues to save Melksham’s last bank

LOCAL representatives are continuing to push for Lloyds Bank to reverse its decision to close its Melksham branch next year. 

Both Melksham’s mayor, cllr Jon Hubbard, and local MP Michelle Donelan have appealed to the High Street Bank to reconsider its decision or consider offering an alternative service to the town. 

The bank announced the closure of 41 of its branches last month, including Melksham, blaming a decline in visits by customers.  

The Melksham branch will close on 15th February next year. In a letter to the chief executive of Lloyds Bank PLC, cllr Hubbard described the upcoming closure as ‘a major blow’ for the town, highlighting that residents with limited or no internet access will be left without a bank to rely on and will struggle to access safe and reliable banking services. 

Speaking to Melksham News, cllr Hubbard – who has not yet received a response from Lloyds Bank to his letter inviting them to visit the town – said, “My efforts will continue to try and convince Lloyds Bank that they should remain in the town – even if they don’t even have the manners to reply to a letter from the town mayor!” 

Local MP Michelle Donelan, who last month met with Lloyds Bank to discuss their ‘awful decision’, said, “I pushed Lloyds hard to reconsider this disastrous decision. I also asked them as a bare minimum to consider opening a mobile branch service to cover Melksham and I am pleased to update you that Lloyds will consider if this would be viable and keep me updated.  

“I also made the point that the notice is not reasonable. While I do understand that the nature of banking is changing with more people choosing to access banking online, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, there are still some people who rely on physically going to a bank. Moreover, if you need to deposit a large cheque or apply for a mortgage for a house you still need to make an appointment at a local branch. This closure will force residents to travel either to Chippenham or Trowbridge to visit a bank.  

“I have made this point crystal clear to Lloyds and I asked them as a bare minimum to consider operating a mobile branch service to cover Melksham. I will update readers on my progress on this matter and I hope Lloyds listen to public opinion and reverse this decision.” 

The historic and iconic High Street building that currently houses Lloyds Bank has been home to a bank for nearly 230 years. It was home to the Melksham Bank in 1792 – Lloyds moved into the building in 1918. 

With the bank’s imminent departure, questions have been raised about the future of the building, with Melksham’s mayor calling for the building to be protected and retained for community use. 

Cllr Hubbard said, “I would like to see the building protected and retained for the community benefit although at this stage, I am not sure how this could be done. Certainly, we need to explore what options are available and see if there might be a way to protect it.” 

About the branch closures, retail director for Lloyds Banking Group Vim Maru, said last month, “Like many other businesses, we’ve seen people using our branches less frequently in recent years, and this decline is continuing.  

“Our branches remain a fundamental part of how we serve our customers, but we need to ensure the size of our branch network reflects the number of customers wanting to use them.”