Town hall banking to launch after branches close

A town centre will retain some banking services after its last two bank branches close their doors for good.

Halifax and Lloyds Bank will close their branches in Witham, Essex, in November.

But both banks have agreed to provide some services once a week at the town hall, Witham Town Council announced on social media.

Conservative councillor Ross Playle said he welcomed the move but was disappointed about the closure of the branches.

Lloyds Banking Group, which owns both brands, said the service would provide face-to-face support for as long as its customers need it.

Halifax customers will be able to use the service between 09:00 and 15:00 every Tuesday from 12 November, and Lloyds customers will have access during the same hours every Friday from 22 November.

Both banks have branches about eight miles (13km) away in Braintree.

Barclays, which pulled out of the town in 2022, offers a similar service at Witham Town Hall on Mondays and Fridays.

"I will continue to monitor this closely to make sure residents aren't at a disadvantage where they still rely on cash," Mr Playle said.

Elsewhere in Essex, a shared banking hub opened in Rochford in 2021. Mr Playle said he hoped more of these would open in towns where banks are closing.

At the hubs, customers of any bank can access their accounts five days a week. A representative from each of the major banks visits once a week to deal with trickier queries.

"It's a sign of the times," Grahame Wagstaff, 59, said of the branch closures while shopping in the town.

"I do [use online banking], but I'm not very good at it. I've made a lot of mistakes... it's not easy."

Nationwide Building Society has a branch in Witham and will be the last current account provider with a physical presence in the town.

Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.