PRESTATYN is set to have a new 'banking hub' by the end of November.
The Journal reported last November that Prestatyn had been earmarked for the new shared bank.
Cash Access UK, an independent company funded by nine banks and building societies, have signed a lease for the former HSBC premises at 35 High Street, Prestatyn.
Banking hubs are similar to traditional bank branches but spaces are shared. They consist of a counter service operated by Post Office staff, where customers of any bank can withdraw and deposit cash, make bill payments, and carry out regular banking transactions.
In addition, they have private spaces where customers can speak to someone from their own bank about more complex issues, with staff from different banks available on different days.
Dr James Davies, MP for Vale of Clwyd, said: “This is absolutely fantastic news and something I have been working hard to achieve over recent years.
“Prestatyn was left without a single bank when TSB, Barclays and HSBC all closed in 2021. This followed on from the town’s loss of NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland and building society branches in the preceding five years.
“I led a successful campaign to reinstate cash machines within the High Street. However, I felt this was not enough and I turned my focus to the revival of banking services within the town centre.
“I put the town forward for assessment by LINK, who have taken on the role of assessing the impact of bank branch closures on communities. I also raised Prestatyn’s need for banking services within a number of Parliamentary debates.”
Prestatyn has been without a major bank since 2021 meaning residents and businesses have had to travel more than five kilometres to Rhyl to bank.
Cash Access UK are currently in the process of procuring and commissioning building work, which they expect to start during August.
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Dr Davies added: "In November last year it was announced that Prestatyn, along with Welling, Haslemere and Bury Park in Luton, would receive a Banking Hub. To now hear that this much needed facility will actually be up and running within 12 months of the announcement is both impressive and exciting.”
A spokesperson for Cash Access UK said: “There are still millions of consumers and small businesses across the UK who depend on cash and face-to-face banking services. The cost-of-living crisis is heightening this need, as many return to cash as a way of budgeting effectively.
“The Banking Hub in Prestatyn will go some way towards addressing these vital needs and we very much hope the hub will become an integral part of the local community.”
David Haigh of Haigh Developments Ltd, building owner, said: “We purchased the building from HSBC and were approached by Cash Access UK at the end of 2022. We are delighted to have now completed the lease and been able to help facilitate its delivery with Cash Access UK. We are sure the Banking Hub will be a great asset to Prestatyn.”
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