Yorkshire market town losing its last bank told it's 'too small' for banking hub

Lloyds Bank is due to close its branch on St Augustine's Gate in Hedon near Hull – which has a population of over 8,000 –on January 28.

Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart has led the charge to get a banking hub backed by 700 people who signed a petition.

However LINK, the cash access watchdog, has told the MP that the town doesn’t hit its 70-shop and 10,000-adult threshold.

With just 39 shops, Hedon was judged “insufficient” meaning people will have to travel into Hull seven miles away.

There is a Post Office in Hedon offering limited services but it’s busy and business owners have expressed concern about having to queue to deposit cash.

Mr Stuart described LINK’s assessment as a classic “computer says no” stitch-up.

He said: "Hedon is a town in its own right, serving villages like Paull, Preston, Thorngumbald and beyond and isn’t just a suburb of Hull. It’s so much more than that. While LINK may have said no, I’ll do all I can, including raising access to cash in Parliament, to make sure people can continue to carry out every day banking transactions.”

Banks and building societies have closed 6,561 branches in the UK since January 2015, with a rapid increase in the use of online and mobile banking and fewer people visiting branches behind the dramatic change.

According to Which? in Yorkshire and the Humber 517 banks and building societies have closed or are closing – with 210 still open.

Hubs offer a counter service operated by the Post Office, where customers of all major banks and building societies can carry out regular cash transactions, Monday to Friday.