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Birchington residents fuming after announcement that last bank in village will close

Birchington residents are furious after learning that the last of the village’s banks is to close.

The branch of Lloyds in The Square has announced it is to close in June, with customers facing a trip into the centre of Margate for over-the-counter banking.

HSBC was first to shut its doors in Birchington, followed by NatWest in December 2015.

Barclays bank in Birchington is set to close next week.
Barclays bank in Birchington is set to close next week.

Barclays then announced it would shut its Birchington branch, which will close next Friday, February 19, at noon.

Now Lloyds has decided to close its branch, which will leave Birchington with just building society Nationwide and the Post Office for banking services.

Birchington North district councillor Keith Coleman-Cooke said: “People have expressed concerns to me that the elderly and the disabled cannot easily get into Margate.

“If you don’t have transport and you live in Minnis Bay for example there are irregular buses so you can’t get there either.

“The elderly generally cannot use online banking and people with learning difficulties might not be able to cope with it.

“I think it is atrocious and disdainful the way people are being treated. It’s all about big companies maintaining their profits and ignoring their customers.

“I think it is atrocious and disdainful the way people are being treated. It’s all about big companies maintaining their profits and ignoring their customers..." Cllr Keith Coleman-Cooke

“What can people do? Swap banks as a protest? That’s all you can do.”

The bank’s customers will now have to travel about four miles to the nearest branch in Margate’s Cecil Square.

Spokesman for Age UK Thanet Sarah Chinchen said: “It is terrible, there is not a lot of help available in this area.

“The Volunteer Centre in Thanet provides a transport service for an annual fee, and the Royal Volunteer Service does something similar.

“Age UK Thanet recently launched the independent living service offering domestic services such as cleaning and shopping.

“This also includes assisted shopping and leisure outings, which could incorporate transport to and from a bank.

“My father could only use the internet a little bit but still would have wanted to visit a bank in person – he had to open a Post Office account because of all the changes.

“We think it is a real shame that the banks are going.”

Lloyds Bank says the decision to close was taken after a review that involved looking at the location of post offices near to the branch, where they say customers can check their balance, withdraw cash and make deposits to their account, and also the availability of public transport in the area.

Banks in Birchington are closing down including Lloyds, The Square.
Banks in Birchington are closing down including Lloyds, The Square.

Lloyds Bank spokesman Val Thorpe said: “We have made the decision to close our Birchington branch in June 2016.

“This is because we have made significant investments to refurbish and upgrade the nearby branch in Margate.

“In addition, the property lease on this branch is due to expire which has contributed to the decision of which branch will close.

“We apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause, and have informed customers of the closest alternative branch.”

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