Hessle: Closure of Yorkshire town's last bank branded a 'heist' by worried customers

Hessle’s Cllr Simon Pickering claimed closing the Halifax branch in The Square “put profits before people” while Cllr David Nolan felt plans for a banking hub were “smoke and mirrors”. A Halifax spokesperson said the closure followed a decline in visits to the Hessle branch as people have started to bank in different ways.

It comes as a Banking Hub was recommended in Hessle after Halifax owners Lloyds Banking Group announced plans to close the branch next summer. The branch is the last physical presence of any bank left in the town.

Hessle would be the latest place in the East Riding to get a Banking Hub, following Cottingham and Hornsea where one opened on Friday (December 8). The facilities are run by the Post Office and allow customers of different banks to deposit and withdraw cash and access other services.

Liberal Democrat councillors in Hessle have launched a petition to try and keep the town’s Halifax branch open. Councillors said a Banking Hub was no substitute for a fully-fledged branch and it would hit residents and local businesses hard.

Cllr Pickering said many older residents had come to him saying they were worried they would no longer be able to manage their finances. The councillor said: “Usually, it is the robbers that enter the bank with the intention of thieving but in Hessle, the robbery comes from inside the bank.

“It’s part of the Great Hessle Bank Heist, we’ve seen over the years when profits are put before people. No matter how much the Halifax tries to dress things up, this does not replace the services residents of Hessle rely on.”

Cllr Nolan said the closure would leave people facing a four-mile journey to the next nearest Halifax branch in Hull. The councillor said: “Halifax are using smoke and mirrors to disguise the closure as a positive by announcing a Banking Hub, though obviously we would welcome a banking hub when faced with the prospect of no banking facilities.

“I am a Halifax customer at this branch and I am deeply unimpressed at their attitude. I suspect many of the shop-keepers and traders in Hessle who rely on banks for depositing cash and getting a change float will feel concerned.”

Hessle was recommended a Banking Hub following a LINK assessment, which is carried out when banks announce plans to close branches. A Post Office in Prestongate offers people and businesses banking services including getting cash, paying in cheques and others, according to Lloyds Banking Group.

There are also several cash machines within a mile of the closing branch and customers affected by the Hessle closure are set to be contacted. The Hessle Halifax branch is set to close on Thursday, August 15, 2024.

Halifax’s spokesperson said: “As many customers now choose to bank online or through their mobile app, visits to our Hessle branch have fallen over recent years. Customers can continue to bank with us online, over the phone, at the local Post Office or at the Banking Hub once it is up and running.”