A HIGH street bank has decided to have a mobile van in Wickham, instead of Bishop's Waltham, much to the disappointment of local businesses.
Barclays had been investigating where to have the mobile facility over the past week.
This comes after Lloyds and Barclays closed its branches in Bishop's Waltham. Now, residents can use the Post Office for banking services and there is a cash machine inside the Co-op.
A post on Bishop's Waltham Parish Council's Facebook page from Barclays said: “We can confirm that we visited Bishop's Waltham and Wickham on a number of occasions when we were originally seeking a location in the area, with a view to us either being in Bishop's Waltham or Wickham, as they are less than five miles apart from each other. As Wickham Square was much busier from a footfall perspective we decided to go with that location.
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“Unfortunately, we will not be looking to add an additional van visit to Bishop's Waltham, as Wickham is nearby along with Barclays branches in Fareham, Southampton and Winchester. It is important that the van travels around other locations to ensure as many customers as possible have easy access to Barclays.”
Jenna Dempsey, of Hylands fruit and vegetable shop in High Street, said: “We had the two banks shut within quite a short time of each other. So the only facilities for getting money out are the Post Office and the ATM in the Co-op. But we have an awful lot of elderly people in the community who, when they have an issue, need to talk to someone face to face. That has now completely gone.”
Luke Jeffs, of Grover Butchers, said: “There are a lot of people who do like to use the banks. When Lloyds closed, people moved over to Barclays because they couldn't travel. It just made it easier for a lot of people. So if the van is moving, that will cause a fuss.
“More and more things seem to be moving out of the village which are needed like banks. Cash points have disappeared, so one had to be put in at the Co-op. There are a lot of people who like having everything here, taking it away does cause a bit of trouble.”
For more information about Post Office banking, visit postoffice.co.uk/everydaybanking?.
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