Cross-party backing for call to support banking hubs as Central Bedfordshire towns faced with branch closures

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Town centres in Central Bedfordshire are “often hanging in the balance now”, as bank branches close, leaving vacant premises which are difficult to fill, a meeting heard.

A motion on banking was presented to a Central Bedfordshire meeting by Liberal Democrat Leighton Linslade South councillor Emma Holland-Lindsay.

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“My town, Leighton-Linslade, will have lost four banks in 18 months by the end of this year,” she warned. “We’re seeing negative impacts of those losses on our residents and the town centre.

“I’d like the local authority to consider what it can do to take action on these issues. I know many of us are using online banking, but that’s not the case for all of our residents.

File photo of bank notes and coins (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)File photo of bank notes and coins (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)
File photo of bank notes and coins (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

“About six in ten of our small businesses still need to deposit cash on a regular basis. Many of our charities and voluntary groups collect cash donations from their fundraising activities, and need to access banks.”

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She called on CBC to offer more support for banking hubs, with one having opened in Ampthill recently, while noting “there are some huge buildings lying vacant now in our town centres”.

Councillor Holland-Lindsay added: “The future of our town centres is often hanging in the balance. Having such high vacancy rates and the loss of occupiers of these big buildings makes it quite challenging for our town centres.

“I’d like a strategy for our town centres around how we support community groups, and our local shops and small businesses.”

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Leighton-Linslade is set to lose its Halifax and Lloyds branches in the coming months, according to a media statement from the local Liberal Democrat group. “This news came as a bitter blow to the town, after the loss of HSBC and Barclays last year,” explained the statement.

“Councillor Holland-Lindsay’s motion calls on CBC to commit to developing a strategy for town centres and to support the introduction of banking hubs to benefit communities where bank branches have been closed.

“It’s time for CBC to develop a proper town centre strategy, and work with town and parish councils to support the development of banking hubs.”

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Independent Ampthill councillor Mark Smith replied: “Part ten of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act includes powers for local authorities to enforce letting of vacant high street premises.

“While this Act was adopted by the last government, it’s not clear yet whether the Labour government plan to bring this element of it into force or when.

“Clarification will be sought from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government by the Local Government Association. This is key as CBC is limited in what it can do, regarding banks on the high street, without these powers in place.”

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Independent Ampthill councillor Gary Summerfield described the town’s banking hub as “extremely well used and very successful”, despite it only being open a few weeks.

Councillor Holland-Lindsay’s motion asked CBC to work with town and parish councils on an audit of banking facilities locally to establish whether communities which have lost banks would benefit from a banking hub. Her motion passed with cross-party support.

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