Save Downend Banking Services

We note with regret the recent announcement by HSBC is to close its Downend branch. HSBC is the last of the major banks to offer in-person banking services in Downend. The branch serves a wide area. For example, customers in Yate lost their branch 18 months ago and were told at the time to use Downend. Local Liberal Democrat campaigners, Raj Sood, Andy Daer and David Eldridge, met recently to discuss the implications for our community.

The closure would raise serious questions about the health of the Downend High Street. Customers would need to rely on services provided by the Yorkshire Building Society, the Post Office or Supermarkets. This is likely to be particularly difficult for business customers, and would hence have knock-on consequences for the local economy. The loss of a free ATM would leave only one in Downend. Several communities in South Gloucestershire have already lost convenient free access to cash. These changes may be particularly unwelcome for older members of our community, especially those who rely on our crisis-hit bus services to access alternative provision.