LETTER: Distress at bank branch closure

I am responding to Karin Lane's letter of protest in the December 3 about the shock closure of the busy Lloyds Bank branch in Steyning.
By The Newsroom
Published 13th Dec 2015, 12:00 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 05:49 BST

This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.

Your lettersYour letters
Your letters

I, too, found out on 2nd December with no prior notice. I was queuing behind an elderly lady who was in great distress at the closure news. She was immobile and frail, and the kind cashier tried to explain to her how to use cash machines.

I am in the same position as Karin Lane, my parents also live in Steyning and are in their eighties (my mother having had a long and distinguished career within Lloyds Bank – hence I, my husband, our children and now our grandchildren have always banked with Lloyds).

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

I contacted Lloyds through social media to complain about this closure and received the expected platitudes – ‘we didn’t take this decision lightly and hope this will not cause you too much inconvenience’.

Hello Lloyds Bank – it won’t be an inconvenience to me, but will definitely be a major inconvenience to your many loyal elderly customers who have no way to use internet/telephone banking and find it difficult to understand or trust cash machines. They need, as has always been provided in Steyning, a friendly and helpful person who they can talk to.

At the best here the public transport is poor, and it is a fair stretch from the bus stop in Shoreham to the Lloyds branch there. In no way can the elderly and infirm even consider it.

I did suggest to the ‘understanding’ Lloyds rep on social media, possibly a weekly mobile bank could be arranged, as family members and friends in other rural areas enjoy.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But - apparently - ‘that is not under consideration at the moment but they will note my comment’.

GILLIAN MIDDLETON

The Street, Bramber

__

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be among the first to know what’s going on.

1 Make our website your homepage at www.wscountytimes.co.uk

2 Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/wscountytimes

3 Follow us on Twitter @wscountytimes

4 Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!

The County Times – always the first with your local news.

Be part of it.

Related topics:ShorehamFacebookTwitter