Temporary Banking hub opens in Hessle after residents protest closure of final bank
A temporary home for the Banking Hub in Hessle has been found in at Hessle Library & Community Centre.
Cash Access UK, the organisation set up to protect nationwide access to cash, said the temporary Hub is open five days a week and will remain available until the new permanent Banking Hub opens. It offers a counter service operated by the Post Office and customers of all major banks can carry out regular cash transactions, Monday to Friday.
Last year, campaigners tried to halt the closure of the town's Halifax which they said was essential for local businesses and residents. In response, Halifax claimed visits to its Hessle branch had dropped because more people were choosing to bank online.
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The new banking hub offers a Community Banker service where customers can talk to their own bank about more complicated issues on the day their bank is in the Hub: Monday is TSB, Tuesday morning is Santander, Tuesday afternoon is NatWest, and Thursday is Barclays.
A Lloyds Community Banker will be in the hub on Fridays from November 8. A Community Banker from Halifax will be available in the hub on Wednesdays from December 4.
While the temporary Hub is up and running, Cash Access UK will continue to progress the plans for the permanent home for the Banking Hub. The temporary Hub will remain open until the permanent Hub opens.
Gareth Oakley, CEO at Cash Access UK: "With the opening of the new temporary Banking Hub in Hessle, I am delighted to say that local residents can now access to cash and face-to-face banking services once again. We are working hard to secure a permanent home for the Hub and hope to provide an update to the community soon."
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Councillor Anne Handley, leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “This is a fantastic initiative to safeguard Hessle resident’s access to cash and banking services. East Riding council is delighted to support this project and I look forward to it moving into a permanent location in due course."
Cash Access UK is a not-for-profit company owned and funded by ten major banks. Their work is part of a new, collective approach to protecting access to cash. They provide shared services - available to the customers of the ten firms - in communities where they are needed most. For more information, visit cashaccess.co.uk