Plans lodged to provide new home for Alnwick banking hub

Cash Access UK opened a temporary banking hub on Bondgate Within in May.

However, it has now submitted an application to revamp the former Alliance Pharmacy unit on the corner of Paikes Street.

A report with the application states: ‘Externally, the works include the installation of new brand signage, associated signage, and necessary repairs to the building fabric.

‘Internally, the project entails minor partition adjustments to create a secure office space, along with the installation of standard furniture, redecoration, and new floor finishes.’

It adds: ‘The proposed fascia and projecting sign are appropriately scaled to complement surrounding shopfronts and utilise muted colours to blend seamlessly with the area.’

The plans also include regrading the entrance doors to create level access plus the installation of a platform lift.

Customers of all major banks can still visit the hub at 32 Bondgate Without any weekday between 9am and 5pm to carry out regular cash transactions including cash withdrawals and deposits as well as checking balances or paying bills.

Additionally, the hub also offers a community banker service where customers can talk to their own bank in a private space about more complicated issues on the day their bank is in the hub.

These are: Monday - NatWest; Tuesday - Lloyds; Wednesday – Halifax; Friday – Barclays. Santander no longer provide a community banker service within this hub.

The hub was recommended by LINK, the UK’s Cash Access and ATM network, following the announcement of the closure of the town’s last remaining bank branch.

Lloyds and Halifax, next to each other on Bondate Within, closed on May 15. Barclays closed its Alnwick branch in 2023.

Banking hubs are a collaborative industry initiative, set up in response to bank branch closures on high streets across the country.

Instead of one bank owning a branch, the responsibility is shared between the banks. This means that they can share the running costs and all operate in one convenient location.

A banking hub has also recently opened in Amble at the Dovecote Centre, also on a temporary basis.

If you would like to know more about the banking hubs please contact: [email protected]