Almost three years since the last bank branch in Coulsdon slammed its safe door shut for the final time, residents are about to get a replacement “hub” to provide all the services that were once taken as a standard feature of any high street.
Work begins: the new Coulsdon banking hub is being fitted out, set to open by April
The campaign has been driven by the East Coulsdon Residents’ Association, and they have managed to get support from the Post Office to take on the former Whicher’s Financial Services office in Coulsdon town centre for the purpose.
Work began on site at 152 Brighton Road yesterday, with a view to opening the banking hub by April. Coulsdon’s postmaster has been appointed to manage the banking hub as well as the Post Office.
Together with Cash Access UK, the Post Office has already opened nine similar banking hubs around London and the home counties – providing physical premises for banks to conduct their business and for their customers to make cash deposits and withdrawals and most of the usual banking services.
“With many banks closing branches across the country, people are being left without essential banking services,” the Post Office says.
Chris Philp, the MP for Croydon South, gave his support to the campaigning residents’ association, and yesterday he said he was “delighted” that the hub was set to open.
“Fitting out has already begun and Coulsdon’s hub is due to open to residents by the end of March,” Philp wrote.
The Coulsdon hub will have access on both Brighton Road and Chipstead Valley Road, and is sited opposite Tesco Express, where there remains a free-to-use cash machine.
“Once open, whoever you bank with, you will be able to drop in Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, for the vast majority of your banking needs,” the MP said.
Among the services available will be:
- paying in cash and cheques
- withdrawing cash
- checking balances
- paying utility bills
- topping up gas and electricity
- accessing change-giving services (for small businesses)
Five of the largest commercial banks, having retreated from the high street, will provide “community bankers” on set days through the week for what Philp calls “more complex services and face-to-face appointments, such as payments and transfers, managing accounts, and how to use online banking”.
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