MELKSHAM’S last remaining bank, Lloyds, is to close in February.
The bank announced the closure of 41 of its branches last week, including Melksham, blaming the declining visits by customers.
Mayor Jon Hubbard has told Melksham News, “The loss of the last of our major banks from the High Street in Melksham is a major blow for our town. I have written to Lloyds Bank PLC (see letters page 26) asking them to reconsider their plans, but I think we need to accept the reality it is unlikely that we will see a reversal in their position.
“We need to look forward now and think about ways that we can support our residents and local businesses in managing the impact of this decision and ensure we keep a vibrant town centre that continues to deliver for our community.
“I do celebrate the recent investment made in our community by the Coventry Building Society who refurbished their premises and the continued presence in the town of Nationwide Building Society, whose longstanding commitment to keeping their branch open is greatly appreciated.”
Angered
Customers outside the bank have been angered by the decision.
“I’m really upset, I have been with them [Lloyds] for 40-odd years and it’s heartbreaking,” said one customer. “I don’t like using the internet or apps on my phone. I think I am going to move to one of the building societies.”
Shirley West said, “I feel terrible, we are old people, this means we have to go to Devizes or Chippenham and that means we will do our shopping there, so I think it’s very sad for Melksham. I expect I will move to a building society or the post office. I just hope they don’t spoil the building and turn it into flats.”
Sad day for Melksham
Pensioner Mr West added, “They are not allowing for older people. We will now have to travel to Devizes or Trowbridge to get to a bank, but it’s the way of life. I don’t use the bank too much, I will just have to get the bus to Devizes. It’s a sad day for Melksham.”
Online comments to Melksham News included:
“Can’t understand why all the banks don’t take a desk in the Lloyds building to deal with things that can’t be dealt with at the cash point . Not all banking is cash-in-hand related and not all customers are comfortable or able to deal with online banking.”
“Another building that will stand empty for ages most probably.”
“It’s crazy .With an ageing population who are not internet savvy. Why can’t we have one building with various bank hubs? It’s not rocket science. This will now have more impact on businesses in Melksham.”
“People have suggested on social media that a solution would be a building with various ‘banking hubs’ operating out of it. They wouldn’t do it but all banks (not just in Melksham) should have gone into one building and had a desk for each… bit like a foodhall but a BankHall. Lloyds building would have been perfect for this!”
“I have been a customer of Lloyds Bank for over 68 years, it will be dreadful to see it go.”
“You can go to the Post Office to do banking and you can still call Lloyd’s and speak to someone on the phone. As cash usage declines, so does the presence of banks on the High Street. It’s not financially viable to have a branch in every town, especially when Trowbridge and Chippenham are so close. It’s sad as it’s a lovely bank, but at least we still have The Coventry and Nationwide in town.”
Vim Maru, retail director for Lloyds Banking Group, said, “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.”
The Melksham branch will close on 15th February next year.
