Plans for banking hub to fill void in town

A banking hub is expected to open in a town which will soon lose another of its High Street branches.

ATM network Link said the service would be set up in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, where Santander announced it would close its branch by January 2027.

Banking hubs offer the counter services found in traditional banks and can be used by customers of any provider.

John Howells, CEO of Link, said the hub would play a "vital role in supporting local people, businesses and the High Street".

The town's Santander branch was refurbished and reopened in April 2019.

But it is among 44 branches the bank plans to close across the UK, which also includes Welwyn Garden City in neighbouring Hertfordshire.

Link said the new hub would be delivered by not-for-profit company Cash Access UK, which is investigating potential sites in the town.

There are 210 hubs open across the UK, and Link said it wanted to make Leighton Buzzard its 250th location.

At the hubs, customers can also speak to staff from their own bank, as different banks provide specialist support on a rotating basis.

Howells added: "While more people are choosing to bank digitally, millions still rely on cash."

Nationwide Building Society continue to run a branch in Leighton Buzzard and have promised to keep all branches open until at least 2030.

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