MP for Southampton Itchen Darren Paffey (Lab) has urged a reassessment by LINK on its decision that Bitterne doesn’t need a banking hub following four bank branch closures in as many years.
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Banking Hubs allow staff from several banks to share the same space, helping to fill gaps in high streets and communities from bank branch closures. They have a counter service that allows customers to conduct routine banking transactions.
The MP said that LINK, which allocates banking hubs, had reviewed access to cash in Bitterne last year after Lloyds and Halifax announced branch closures, but it concluded that a hub wasn’t needed because of the area’s proximity to the city centre.
Paffey has now written to LINK to urge them to carry out a more comprehensive assessment of Bitterne that takes into account a wider range of factors such as the needs of local businesses, public transport realities and accessibility barriers.
As well as writing to LINK, he has also arranged to meet this month with Lucy Rigby MP, the minister responsible for banking services, to make the case for a banking hub at government level.
Photo: Previously supplied