Traders fear loss of bank branch will bring decline

Traders in Cornwall say they are concerned about the closure of their town's final banking branch, after the loss of two others since the pandemic.

Santander is due to leave Liskeard on 20 May, with businesses worried footfall into the once-thriving market town will drop. Lloyds and Barclays branches have already closed, with firms saying they are seeing an impact, with independent stores closing.

Santander UK said it was making changes "in response to a continuing and sizeable shift" towards digital banking.

Link, the UK's main not-for-profit cash machine network - which assesses cash access throughout the country - is not recommending any new or improved cash access services in Liskeard.

It added: "There are already cash access services and facilities within a three-mile radius which are suitable for the needs of the local area."

Rob Wilkinson, who owns the Fat Frog Cafe, said the loss of Santander was "another contributing factor to the decline in businesses in Liskeard town centre".

"In that last 12 months, we've had at least four close so this will be the fifth and that just affects footfall, which obviously affects us.

"If people don't come into the town they don't come for a coffee or a bacon bap," he said.

In the neighbouring town of Bodmin, the loss of all the bank branches ended in a Banking Hub being recommended for the town in 2023.

Nimalsan is the operator of the hub and he also owns the Post Office and convenience store.

"I can say the service that customers are receiving is actually helping them and we are getting very positive feedback from a lot of customers, especially elderly people.

"On the high street, there aren't many opportunities so this banking hub is actually helping the high street as well."

He added it was "bringing more customers" to the town and "a few other businesses have opened".

Resident June Jones was visiting the hub to see her banking representative, who is present there on Tuesdays.

"I don't know what I would do without it," she said.

"This is a wonderful thing that happened to me because I've got nothing else to rely on, I don't do internet," she explained.

A spokesperson for Santander UK said: "In response to a continuing and sizeable shift towards customers using digital banking, we are making changes to our branches to better support our customers.

"We will continue to invest in both our branch network, comprising of full-service branches, counter-free branches, reduced hour branches, Santander Locals, and our increasingly popular Work Cafés, as well as our digital banking services, so we can be there to support our customers however they choose to bank with us."

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