Another town abandoned by banks

THANKS for all your emails about towns that have been deserted by the high street banks – and the inconvenience caused.

Peter Wakefield says he is incredulous that the coastal town he lives in – Swanage in Dorset – has been left bankless after Lloyds shut last year. He says Swanage is a thriving town, especially in the summer when tourists spend money in its shops, cafes and pubs.

Although a Post Office remains, the nearest bank branch (Lloyds) is now ten miles away in Wareham – a tortuous journey in the summer when the roads are rammed.

Fifty miles west of Swanage, Lyme Regis has suffered a similar fate. It’s both bankless and bereft of a Post Office – with residents and local businesses now dependent on a banking hub (community bank) in Axminster, 13 miles away.

Bankless towns are a growing feature of our country’s landscape. TSB’s decision to axe 36 branches, confirmed a few days ago, will soon mean that towns such as Bude in Cornwall and Tenbury Wells in Worcestershire will also lose their last banks.

Others such as Amble in Northumberland and Crook in County Durham will be dependent upon banking hubs – although these can take an age to set up. Do banks care about our communities? I think you and I know the answer to that question.