The former Lloyds Bank building in Billericay High Street is set to reopen as a Banking Hub. The hub will provide banking facilities for customers from a host of High Street banks, and work will soon start on transforming the space ready for opening in the coming months.
Cash Access UK, who run banking hubs across the UK, have confirmed today that they will be opening the facility in the Essex town. The announcement comes just a few months after the Post Office was rehomed on the High Street to save it from disappearing altogether.
The Billericay Business Improvement District, an organisation run by local business owners and representatives to drive vitality and vibrancy in the town, has already introduced a number of schemes to support Billericay’s businesses, and welcomes this latest progress.
Nikki Machin, BID Manager for Your Billericay commented, “It’s so important that services like banking and the Post Office remain accessible to all, and the news that we will have the Hub in the High Street is fantastic.”
Nikki continued, “Our priority as a BID is to showcase all that Billericay has to offer, both on the High Street and in surrounding areas. There is already so much to be proud of and the arrival of the hub means residents and businesses can continue to rely on their local High Street to provide them with the services they need.”
Banking hubs offer easy access to face-to-face cash and banking in the heart of communities across the UK.They are owned by Cash Access UK and operated by the Post Office. Open Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm, each banking hub has a counter where customers can access cash services whenever the hub is open. Whoever customers bank with, they can pay in cash and cheques, withdraw cash, pay utility bills and check their balance. For registered businesses, there is access to change-giving services.
Community bankers will work on rotation within the Hub, with a different bank available on each day of the week. While the specific community bankers which will be available at Billericay are still to be confirmed, they are usually provided by the banks with the most customers in the local area. Banks working with Cash Access include Santander, Natwest, Halifax and Barclays.
Nikki concluded, “Many customers still need face to face service from their bank, so to have this is great news. A big thank you to all the local representatives and groups who have been working to secure this on our towns’ behalf.”
