A long-awaited banking hub has finally opened in Westbury town centre, providing residents with accounts at a number of high street banks the chance to conduct banking in town once again.
The banking hub is located in The Reading Room, in the Laverton on Bratton Road, and will be open from 9am to 5pm from Monday to Friday.
The operations available to customers will include: withdrawing cash (notes and coin); depositing cash (notes and coin); depositing cheques; paying utility bills; checking account balance; collecting change (registered business customers).
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The hub will host a community banker for two days a week, on Tuesday, and Thursday, for NatWest, and Barclays respectively.
However, Cash Access also said that a number of other banks will be joining the hub soon.
Lloyds is set to join the hub on Mondays; HSBC is set to join on Wednesdays; and Halifax is set to join on Fridays.
Gareth Oakley, CEO at Cash Access UK: “I’m happy to announce that we have opened the new banking hub in Westbury, giving local residents renewed access to cash and in-person banking services.
“The hub is available for everyday banking transactions every day of the week, and for more specific or complex enquiries, a community banker will be on-site to assist on designated days.”
Responding to the announcement, Westbury Town Council said: “The town council is delighted to be able to host a temporary banking hub here at the Laverton.”
The opening of the hub comes several years after the town’s ‘big four’ high street banks moved out of the town, with Barclays closing in 2018 and Lloyds in 2019.
In April last year, the Wiltshire Times reported that Nick Quin, head of financial inclusion LINK, had said: “We’re pleased to recommend the new hub in Westbury.
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“While many people are choosing to bank and pay for things digitally, there are millions of people across the UK who prefer cash and face-to-face banking.
“If a community believes that it needs additional cash services, they can contact LINK directly and we can assess whether we can recommend new services such as cash machines or banking hubs.”
In a statement to the Times in April last year, Andrew Murrison, MP for South West Wiltshire, said: “I’m delighted Westbury will get a banking hub.
“It’s essential that people have access to traditional counter services, particularly as not everyone is comfortable with banking online and cashless transactions.”
Banking hubs are shared banking spaces, similar to a traditional bank branch, but available to everyone. There are already banking hubs in Calne and Royal Wootton Bassett.
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