New banking hub planned for Heywood

Photo: auremar - stock.adobe.com

The banking hub will offer basic counter services to customers of all banks

With the forthcoming loss of the last bank in Heywood, LINK, the UK’s Cash Access and ATM network, has confirmed the town will benefit from a new ‘banking hub’ to provide residents with access to cash.

The Barclays Church Street branch which will close on Friday 28 April is the only remaining bank in Heywood and one of just two Barclays branches in the Rochdale borough.
 

Read more: Heywood Barclays to close in AprilPublished: 27 January 2023

Now LINK has confirmed that a ‘banking hub’ will be set up in Heywood, this a shared banking space, similar to a traditional bank branch, but available to everyone.

The hub will consist of a counter service operated by Post Office employees, where customers of any bank can withdraw and deposit cash, collect change, deposit cheques, pay bills and make balance enquiries.

In addition, there will be private spaces where customers can speak to community bankers from their own bank for more complicated matters that require specialist knowledge or privacy.

The banks will be working on a rotating basis, so there will be staff from different banks available on different days.

John Howells, CEO of LINK, said: “Access to cash and face-to-face banking services continues to be important for millions of people across the UK.

“Not everyone can or is able to go digital yet, so we’re pleased to announce a new banking hub to support the Heywood community.”

There are currently only four banking hubs up and running across the UK including Brixham (Devon), Cambuslang (Lanarkshire), Cottingham (East Riding of Yorkshire) and Rochford (Essex).

The banking hub will be delivered by Cash Access UK. Over the next few weeks, they will begin to engage with the local community and to start looking for potential sites.

The banking hub comes in addition to the ‘Barclays local’ – a pop-up ‘cashless banking site’ – mentioned by Barclays in their closure announcement on Friday (27 January).

A spokesperson for Barclays said: “In Heywood we plan to open a Barclays Local – a pop-up cashless banking site where customers can meet a colleague face-to-face for banking support, as they would in a branch. We are currently working with the local community to identify a suitable location and will announce details once confirmed.”