'I feel they are neglecting the town' - Brackley man concerned over closure of town's last bank

Bev Wood, aged 65, has said the plans to close Lloyds Bank next March will cause a huge inconvenience to many residents who rely on the service.

The closure of the Market Place branch will mean that the town’s residents will have to travel to Banbury or Bicester for the nearest banks for meetings or personalised services.

Bev said: “In particular, the closure will affect elderly people, disabled people, and people like me who don’t drive. It will mean using public transport for around an hour and a half just for me to use the bank.

"It feels like they are forcing people to go online, but I’m one of those, as with many older people, who are not happy doing financial business online, preferring to do it face-to-face.”

Since Barclays Bank closed its doors in Brackley in 2018, Lloyds has been the only remaining dedicated bank in the town, although there is a Post Office that people can use for some banking services.

Bev said: "Brackley as a town is expanding with more people coming here and new estates being built, yet things are closing down.

"I know that times change, but my opinion is that every town should at least have one bank branch. They should be thinking more about their customers and providing a service for the community and less about their profits and stockholders.

"I feel they are neglecting the town. The least they could have done is put their plans before the community and listen to what ideas people had.”

Lloyds says that one of the primary reasons for the scheduled closure is that the majority of its Brackley customers use other means of banking, such as mobile, internet or phone.

A Lloyds Bank spokesperson said: "As many customers now choose to bank online or through their mobile app, visits to our Brackley branch have fallen over recent years.

"Customers will be able to see our community banker once the branch closes, alongside using our mobile, online and phone banking services.

"The local Post Office offers everyday banking services too, with cash available at close by free-to-use ATMs."