About 50 people gathered in Hedon’s Market Place on Saturday morning to rally against the loss of banking services in the town.
Led by Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart, the protest was also attended by South West Holderness ward councillors and Hedon town councillors, including town mayor Councillor Phil Hinch and Councillor Steve Gallant, who both addressed the crowd.
Speakers stressed the cross-party unity behind the campaign to retain banking services in the town, with residents highlighting the impact the closure of the Lloyds branch in January will have on elderly and vulnerable people, as well as the large “hinterland” that relies on Hedon for services – including Preston, Thorngumbald, Paull and Burstwick.
Mr Stuart repeated his criticism of LINK’s decision not to grant Hedon a banking hub, describing it as “a computer-says-no stitch-up” based on narrow criteria that failed to consider the wider area.
He added that, despite LINK partly basing its decision on the fact that the town has a post office that offers banking services, LINK had not contacted its manager nor apparently seen how “cramped” the premises was.
Councillor Gallant said there were “hundreds” of small businesses in Hedon that depend on access to banking, describing the town as “the commercial centre for the whole of South West Holderness”.
He urged residents to “keep up the fight” by signing Mr Stuart’s petition, warning that even if a hub is approved it could take up to 12 weeks to establish – coinciding with the branch’s closure in January.
He also called for support for Lloyds staff, following reports of “angry confrontations” in the bank. “It’s not their fault,” he said. “Many will lose their jobs – we must not take it out on them.”
The rally ended with a chant of “Do we want a banking hub? Yes!” and “When do we want it? Now!”
Meanwhile, Claire Cheesman, who runs Occasions – which hosts the town’s post office – said she was not overly concerned about being overwhelmed by demand, as specialist banking services would not be offered, but she confirmed she had asked the Post Office to add an extra counter and remodel part of the shop to cope with any increase in use, as well as putting extra staff on if the demand warranted it.
However, she noted that LINK had not contacted her directly, despite recommending accessibility upgrades including a ramp, which could pose issues for blind and partially sighted people if it extended out into the street.
The rally followed the news that LINK had ruled Hedon ineligible for a banking hub because it has fewer than 70 shops, despite meeting the population threshold. Lloyds Bank is due to close its branch in St Augustine’s Gate at the end of January, a move that will also see the cash machines decommissioned.
- Full story and more viewpoints in the next edition – out Thursday, October 23.