Bank closure is ‘nail in coffin’

MorE branchES to Shut

Wye’s only remaining bank will close in January, with some traders saying it is “another nail in the coffin” for the village.

The Royal Bank of Scotland announced its NatWest branch in Church Street, which employs three staff, will shut on Friday, January 9, due to a lack of customers.

The nearest NatWest branch will be 3.5 miles away in Ashford.

Martin Wakelin, who runs

Peter Sutherland runs Bridge Street gifts and art shop Ticketyboo with wife Ann and was disappointed but not surprised to hear the bank was closing.

He said: “We’ve been expecting this since Lloyds closed a few years ago but it’s still a blow to the village. One of the biggest draws of any village is if it has a bank. This is just another reason for people not to visit Wye.” Wye Butchers and Delicatessen in Church Street, thinks people might stop visiting the village if it has no bank.

He said: “This is another nail in Wye’s coffin. People use the bank and then come to us or go to the bakery. We do have a card machine but some customers like to pay by cash.

“Wye lost the agricultural college, Lloyds Bank, a couple of restaurants and now this.

“I do think not so many people will visit Wye after NatWest closes and I don’t know whether that will mean other businesses will end up closing as well.”

What do you think? Write to Kentish Express, 34-36 North Street, Ashford TN24 8JR or email kentishexpress@thekmgroup.co.uk At the same time NatWest revealed it was closing the Wye branch, it also announced banks in High Street, Snodland, which employs four people, and The Square, Lenham, where there are seven staff, will close on January 6.

Residents in Lenham will have to travel 6.4 miles to the closest branch in Headcorn, while people from Snodland will need to make the 2.2-mile trip to Larkfield.

The NatWest branches in Marden and Coxheath, which are the villages’ only banks, are set to close in November.

A NatWest spokesman confirmed no further closures are planned for Kent, saying: “Over our whole branch network there has been a 30% drop in branch transactions since 2010.”

Customers can access some services at post offices, including the one in Wye.

Peter Sutherland, of Ticketyboo art and gift shop, says the closure of the NatWest, left, is a blow to the village