by Rebecca Hannant
The new Withernsea Banking Hub is set to open in May at a permanent location in Queen Street.
Last month, Cash Access UK confirmed the hub would move from its temporary base at the Shores Centre in Seaside Road to 134a Queen Street – the empty unit between Aldi and the post office, formerly known as Trax Café, which closed in 2017.
Work is now under way to transform the space.
The hub will continue to offer the same essential banking services introduced at Shores when it opened in February 2024. Customers will be able to withdraw and deposit cash and cheques, pay utility bills and access support from community bankers representing major high street banks on specific days.
Run by Cash Access UK, a not-for-profit company funded by the major banks, the hub forms part of a national effort to maintain access to cash and basic banking services in towns where bank branches have closed.
A spokesman for Cash Access UK said: “The work on the permanent premises for the Withernsea Banking Hub is still under way, and Cash Access UK is aiming for an opening date in May.”
The announcement has been welcomed by local leaders, who have praised both the long-term commitment to the town and the reuse of a vacant premises.
Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart said: “I’m so excited about Withernsea’s permanent banking hub opening. It’s taken a long time to get here, and I’d like to thank everyone from Cash Access UK to Jayne Nendick, who so kindly let them operate at Shores, for making sure that everyone in Withernsea has access to cash.”
South East Holderness ward councillor Jon Dimberline added: “It’s great news for a lot of different reasons. I’m keen to see all or any empty premises around the town occupied, and I’m constantly working on the unoccupied ones now, trying to get things done to get the owners to rent them or do something with them.
“I’m delighted to see this unit transformed and freshened up – and even more pleased that it will provide a much-needed banking service now that we’ve lost Lloyds and NatWest. It looks good in the centre of town and helps meet the community’s banking needs.”
The community banker schedule is expected to remain the same, but customers are advised to check for updates either on the hub’s window or via its dedicated webpage at cashaccess.co.uk/hubs/Withernsea-east-riding-of-Yorkshire.