I hope that you had a lovely summer and enjoyed some downtime in our beautiful countryside. With Parliament in recess over August, I had the opportunity to spend even more time at home in Sussex Weald and while out and about, I caught up with many residents on some of the top local issues.
One of the topics that kept coming up in our conversations was the access to banking services across the constituency and opportunities for in-person consultations in light of the closures of many local bank branches. While decisions to open or close a bank branch are commercial decisions, it is imperative that banks and building societies recognise the needs of all their customers, including those of many Sussex Weald residents who still need to use in-person services.
The impact of bank closures must be mitigated where possible and I appreciate that many Post Office branches have stepped up to provide a greater range of banking services at their counters, including balance enquiries, cash withdrawals, and cash and cheques deposits. However, despite the growing use of online banking and remote access, I know from your correspondence and conversations that retaining access to face-to-face assistance with more complicated financial matters is still important to many of you.
I have recently welcomed the newly established banking hub in Hailsham, which has been operating from the High Street Post Office since March and was the first of its kind to open in East Sussex. It is a key, well used community facility similar to a traditional bank, which is shared by multiple providers whose representatives are present on a specific day of the week for customers to speak to them in a private space and get financial advice.
While this is a great win for Hailsham, I appreciate that not all residents are able to travel to access it and I am keen to ensure that other towns and villages across Sussex Weald have the opportunity to benefit from a similar provision within their community.
This is why I launched a short survey on my website, for you to share your views and help me make the case to Link and Cash Access UK who make assessments, and recommend, and deliver banking hubs. If you can, please spare a moment to let me know your views at: www.nusghani.org.uk/bankinghubs.
Your participation will ensure that I am better informed when making representations and campaigning for more local facilities.
The original article is available here.
