Lloyds Banking Group recently placed its Lewes branch under threat of closure. This decision has understandably made residents in this small town fearful of going without a full-service bank. This ruling fits with a growing trend. Just since 2022, Halifax, NatWest, and HSBC have shut their doors in Lewes, with more branches closed down at a national level. The community has protested mightily against the most recent closure. Their comments underscore the heavy burden that unnecessary delays would have on local small businesses and other disadvantaged communities.
Michael Holmes, a local resident, lamented that the planned closure is “a shame.” He added that it was “extremely disappointing” for the community that Lloyds would be closing its doors on them. He noted that the closure would leave Lewes area constituents “without any full-service bank.” This created major concerns around accessibility for people who still rely on in-person banking services.
Residents have raised the alarm on how this would affect their everyday quality of life. Richard Winter, a long-time resident of the town, told the Washington Post that the closure is “another nail in the coffin” for the town. Aside from their children, he and his wife Ursula say they were too dependent on the online banking services. They think these services aren’t enough to work for everyone.
“It would make it difficult for older people, people living with a disability and people who don’t have smart phones.” – Michael Holmes
The sentiment is echoed by other residents. Luke Watson, owner of Nose2Tail Family Butchers, described how the closure would complicate banking for his business, which relies heavily on cash transactions.
“We will have to go to the Post Office to do our banking. Or maybe try and find the nearest Lloyds, but it would be a problem for us. We’re a small business and we don’t have that time.” – Luke Watson
Local residents Edwina Livesey and Kevin West testified against the proposal. They fear that this development will just further burden the Post Office, which is already facing a new burden of higher foot traffic from already closed banks. Since the demand was so high, they requested LINK to set up a banking hub in Lewes to meet these increasing needs.
“This puts local businesses, older residents, and those without digital access at a serious disadvantage.” – Edwina Livesey and Kevin West
We understand that as banking habits change, Lloyds Banking Group provided the following reasons for the closure. A spokesperson stated, “The way people are banking has changed, as more than ever, customers are choosing to manage their money through our apps.” This change brings up serious concerns about how inclusive it is and what’s being done for people who want or need to bank in-person.
Ursula Winter making regular trips to Brighton to continue banking with Barclays. When she’s not in Brighton, back home she uses the Post Office in Lewes.
“There is an increasing tendency that if you don’t have a smart phone, you are not catered for.” – Michael Holmes
Lloyds gets set to permanently shutter in Lewes. Thousands of residents are now dealing with the realities of that loss. Community members continue to advocate passionately for their community to have access to banking options that serve the needs of all its residents.
