The last bank in Crowborough is set to close – dealing another blow to the High Street.
Lloyds Bank announced today the Crowborough branch would be one of 95 closing in the coming year – and in Crowborough that will be as soon as 9 June.
The news has been met with disbelief, dismay and anger on social media. One person said the closure meant the town was “turning into a ghost town”.
The blow comes just a couple of weeks after The Original Factory Shop began its closing down sale, and follows the closure of the Santander branch last year.
When that branch closed many predicted the demise of the town’s last bank – Lloyds, and Sussex Weald MP, Nus Ghani, began a survey about whether the town needed a banking hub.
Lloyds, the biggest banking group in the UK, said it offered a range of options for people to manage their money. The latest announcement is in addition an ongoing closure programme by the bank which will see 49 sites shut by October.
One of the banking groups bailed out by the Government in the 2008 financial crash, Lloyds will have 610 branches remaining once all the announced closures are complete.
Ironically, it comes at a time when the banking giant is still running its “By your side for 250 years campaign”.
A spokesperson for Lloyds said: “Customers want the freedom to bank in the way that works for them and we offer more choice and ways to manage money than ever before.” More than 21 million customers use Lloyds’ apps as their main way to bank, the spokesperson added.
But anger on social media in Crowborough has come from people who want to deal with staff and branches, not bank online.
One posted: “I was so hoping it would not. I feel so sorry for the staff. I do not do online banking. I like to go in the bank to transfer money to my family for their birthdays and save 20p for my greatgrandchildren. The staff are always helpful.”
Another was also concerned about older people. “What will happen for the older people not everyone is online banking? This is terrible news.”
Many people are also incredulous that a town the size of Crowborough will be without a single bank branch. One Facebook user said: “22000 people and no bank – this is appalling.”
Less than two weeks ago, Santander said it was closing a further 44 branches, putting 291 jobs at risk. It closed its Crowborough High street branch in the summer last year. Both Lloyds and Santander said banking apps and an increasing number of services provided remotely have led to less use of branches by customers.