Showaddywaddy star: Towns like mine must get support they need
THE market town of Syston in Leicestershire will host one of five banking hubs to be launched this year as a result of an agreement struck late last year with the banks and the Access to Cash Action Group. These will complement any hubs recommended by Link in response to last bank in town closures announced this year.
Syston has lost all of its four banks in the past decade. NatWest exited eight years ago, followed by HSBC,
Barclays and Santander, which pulled the plug last summer. Walk down the high street today and the Santander and Barclays branches are boarded up, while NatWest is home to a firm of solicitors and HSBC has become an optician.
The old Barclays branch is currently an eyesore, white paint peeling off the dilapidated building. Yet it is expected to be home to the banking hub by the summer.
Dave Bartram, former frontman of 1970s pop group Showaddywaddy, grew up in this 13,000-strong town and regularly comes back to visit close family and friends.
The 69-year-old, who now lives near Bingham, Nottinghamshire, says news of the banking hub is ‘welcome’. Yet he believes banks have helped damage the fabric of many communities like Syston by shutting branches, often indiscriminately. He says: ‘In the music business, if you fail to deliver you do not last. The banking world seems to play by different rules. We trust them with our money and in return get precious little back. Banks should not reward our loyalty to them with branch closures, but show their support for communities like Syston.’
Husein Jamaly, owner of Syston DIY and Hardware store, is equally
unimpressed. The 56-year-old says: ‘Since the banks started pulling out of this town, the footfall for local shops in the area has fallen by more than a third – as people have gone to other nearby towns for their banking needs. I fear this new idea is no substitute for a traditional high street bank.’
Shirley Wright and Lindsay Rook run the Let’s Party shop across the road from Husein’s business, selling everything from helium-filled balloons to greetings cards. Shirley, 63, says: ‘It is a shame the high street banks have deserted us. The town continues to grow, it’s a great place to live, and the economy is buoyed by being home to food company Pukka Pies. Of course, we welcome a new banking hub.’
The other four hubs will be in Acton, West London; Brixham, Devon; Carnoustie, Angus; and Knaresborough, North Yorkshire.