Neighbours in a city suburb have voiced their disappointment as their local bank is set to shut. It comes as 20 Lloyds branches are set to disappear from high streets.
This would leave people in Hyson Green with just a few cash machines at the Asda supermarket on Radford road. Resident in the area argue that a "community this size should really have a bank in it".
Shamas Mian, who works in security, 41, said: “It will definitely be an inconvenience to not have a bank here in Hyson Green. It is very sad, the staff here are really nice and very helpful so I hope they’re all going to be ok.
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“Parking can be a bit of an issue here but you can always find space. If we have to go to the centre, there will be many issues with staff, parking and general inconvenience for people who live here, so it would be better if it stayed.”
The Lloyds bank in Hyson Green is located on Gregory Boulevard. Lloyds Banking Group - which also owns Royal Bank of Scotland - said each of the affected branches had a free cash machine or Post Office within one mile, reports the Mirror.
Arveds Rancanc, another neighbour, added: “For me it isn’t a problem, I go to the city centre anyway so I don’t think it’s that bad.”
Vicky Stevens, a retired pharmacist, 58, said: “If it isn’t doing enough business then I don’t see a problem with it closing, if it's doing OK then I don’t see why they would shut it because it is clearly useful for people here.”
“I don’t really have to go into banks anymore because I do it all online so it doesn’t really affect me. I thought everyone did it online to be honest. It’s very rare I have to go into the bank and if I do it is only for a big query.”
James Livingstone, lived around Hyson Green all his life and said: “It’s very disappointing if the only cash machine is at Asda and they are known to break. It’s really sad that they are closing the bank. Even if they leave the cash machine, that would be a godsend.”
The 38-year-old added: “A community this size should really have a bank in it. If Lloyds and NatWest or someone could do like a split-time sort of thing where one bank is in a few days a week and then one the other that would really help people.”
A Lloyds Banking Group spokesperson said: "It remains true that online and mobile banking continue to grow, as branch usage falls. On average, visits to these 28 branches have dropped by 60% since 2016, while we now have 18.6 million regular online banking customers and over 15 million mobile app users."
Unite national officer Caren Evans said: “The branch closure announcement today that another profit making financial institution is failing to consider the needs of consumers and staff beggars’ belief. This news is another example of a bank choosing to walk away from the communities who need access to banking.
“The actions of Lloyds Banking Group over the last few months are completely inexcusable. The management is letting down customers and their dedicated workforce.
“These closures will leave some customers more than 10 miles from their nearest bank branch. This is a betrayal of some of the most vulnerable, elderly and socially excluded in our communities who need local access to community banking.”
Unite said more than 5,000 bank and building society branches have closed since 2015. The new closures mean the banking group will have closed 88 branches by the end of 2022.
Lloyds branches set to close are Norwich Heartsease, Thatcham, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Bilborough Nottingham, Broadstone, Letchworth, Nottingham Hyson Green, Oadby, Plympton, Verwood, Ilfracombe, Whickham, Atherstone, Hadleigh, Swanage, Ystrad Mynach, Bourne, Heald Green, Banstead and Williton.
It comes after the news that NatWest announced plans to close 32 branches of NatWest and the Royal Bank of Scotland with Nottingham earmarked to lose facilities.
