I have made an appeal for a banking hub in Cleveleys and made it clear why it's needed

Blackpool North and Fleetwood MP has made an appeal for a banking hub in Cleveleys.

Earlier this month, the Halifax Building Society announced it would be closing its branch - the only banking institution left on the high street.

Ms beavers kicked back saying she was devastated for Cleveleys and vowed to do everything she could to get a banking hub, particularly for those who don’t use Intenet banking , up and running in Cleveleys.

This week she has submitted a Banking Hub appeal to Link.

She said: “The appeal process can take up to 12 weeks and I will keep you updated.

“Thank you so much to everyone for their input, it was incredible and has formed the basis of our appeal.

“I have raised several points including removing five visible and accessible cash machines from the high street.

“Also, the inaccessibility of the remaining two cash machines and he impact on local businesses of reduced footfall and cash machines. Nearly 600 people visit the Halifax every month.

“The high rates of disability and illness within our community that make accessibility a priority as well as the impact of removing face-to-face support on our elderly and disabled residents.

“That both the remaining cash machines and Post Office have struggled to cope with demand when Halifax closed for refurbishment.”

When the closure announcement was made, a Halifax spokesperson said that customers would be contacted to let them know about alternate local banking services.

A Halifax spokesperson: “With access to one of the biggest branch networks in the UK, alongside local banking options like our Community Banker in Cleveleys, the nearby Post Office, PayPoint, plus our leading apps and 24/7 messaging service, we offer our customers more choice and convenience than ever before.”

Despite the widespread closures of branches by other banking organisations in recent years, Halifax managed to keep branches open longer than any of its counterparts.

The branch at Poulton Street in Fleetwood was the last one standing in the town before it too closed last year, on June 25, while the St Annes branch closed its doors earlier on June 12 and was similarly the town’s last remaining bank outlet.