Business customers can benefit from Stoke-on-Trent’s first ever permanent banking hub.
The facility in Tunstall officially opened on Friday and allows customers of all major banks to carry out regular cash transactions including cash withdrawals, deposits, checking balances and paying bills between 9am and 5pm on weekdays.
The hub at Unit 5 Alexandra Retail Park on Scotia Road also offers a community banker service where customers can talk to their own bank in a private space about more complicated issues.
Community bankers representing Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland will be available on Mondays and Tuesdays, while Wednesdays are for NatWest customers and Barclays will be in attendance on Thursdays. No community banker will be available on Fridays.
The banking hub is run by Cash Access UK, a not-for-profit company funded by British banks and set up to protect access to cash across the country. It was recommended by LINK, the UK’s ATM network, following the closure of the town’s last remaining bank branch.
More than 240 hubs are available across the UK but the one in Tunstall is the first to open in Stoke-on-Trent.
Gareth Oakley, CEO of Cash Access UK: “I’m happy to announce the opening of our first permanent banking hub in Stoke-on-Trent in Tunstall, ensuring crucial access to cash and face-to-face banking services for residents and businesses across the community.
“The way we bank and pay for things is changing, which is why we are rolling out solutions including banking hubs as well as deposit ATMs that help small businesses to readily bank cash.
“Customers can visit any day of the week for their everyday banking transactions, and if you have a specific or more complex enquiry for your bank, a community banker will be there to help on the day they’re in the hub.”
The hub was officially opened by Stoke-on-Trent North and Kidsgrove MP David Williams who has campaigned for ‘access to cash’ in his constituency.
He said: “People should not have to travel miles to access traditional banking services in their area, yet bank closures in Tunstall have hit the town hard and people have felt it.
“This new banking hub brings an essential service back to the town.”
