Kentish Express Ashford & District
Work starts on building society
Workmen have begun converting a former town centre shoe shop into a building society branch.
The former Clarks shoe shop will become Nationwide in autumn this year, but bosses at the building society are yet to confirm an opening date for the branch that is being moved from lower down the High Street.
The shop in the High Street, at the entrance to the County Square shopping centre, has been empty since the closure of Clarks in March 2014 and has been subject to speculation as to who would move in.
Amanda Beech, director of branch network at Nationwide Building Society, said: “Our branches are important to us, and that’s why we’re investing highly in our network over the next few years.
“As part of this programme, we’re moving the branch at 75 High Street to 93 High Street in autumn 2017. The 75 High Street branch will therefore close in autumn this year.
“We have looked at lots of potential options for the Ashford branch. To offer more choice, we needed more space.
“We’re going to be offering new meeting rooms including the use of Nationwide NOW, our high definition video link connecting people to specialist advisors quicker and easier, increased privacy, bigger open spaces and some new technology to make everything quicker and more efficient.
“We believe this will give members the best access to our people, products and services, and we feel this is best provided by a new branch.”
In 2014, Nationwide announced it had dropped its plan to move into the shop and said it would continue to serve customers from its existing High Street branch.
But after a U-turn, it will now be opening at the shop next door to Starbucks.