St Brelade politicians' bid to keep Lloyds branch open fails

Lloyds Bank Red Houses. Picture: DAVID FERGUSON. (39062253)

A COALITION of St Brelade politicians has failed in their bid to convince Lloyds Bank to keep the Les Quennevais branch open.

Deputy Jonathan Renouf – who wrote a letter to the bank also signed by Deputies Helen Miles, Moz Scott, Montfort Tadier and parish Constable Mike Jackson – said the group met Lloyds representatives last Thursday for a 45-minute “open and frank discussion” about the reasons for closure and mitigation measures.

With the closure now set to go ahead on 13 December, Deputy Renouf has called on the government to create a Customer and Local Services “hub” at Les Quennevais “which could provide a local point of contact with access to government services some days of the week and bank staff on other days”.

Lloyds has blamed a fall in customer transactions of almost a third between 2018 and 2023 in its announcement of the closure last month, and said customers could use its Broad Street branch and continue to bank with them using online, mobile and telephone banking.

It further said it was contacting customers to let them know about the “alternate local banking services available”.

Age Concern said the decision would hit those with mobility problems hard and accused the bank of putting the interests of its shareholders and management ahead of those of its customers.

External Relations Minister Ian Gorst – who also has political responsibility for financial services – told Scrutiny there was very little the government could do to force banks to keep branches open when their footfall is declining.

Shortly after Thursday’s meeting, the five St Brelade elected officials released a statement saying: “We had an open and frank discussion about the reasons behind Lloyds’ decision and the mitigation measures the bank have put in place to help customers.

“We conveyed the many comments we have had from constituents about the closure, including a desire for the branch to stay open. However, the bank confirmed that the decision to close the bank will not be reversed.”

It continued: “We noted the bank’s work to support customers in the transition to digital banking, and their offer to visit customers in their home if they unable to visit the branch.

“We also discussed the possibilities for offering banking services in other locations in the parish.”

Writing about the meeting in his blog this weekend, Deputy Renouf revealed that the bank did not conduct a survey of bank users to find out the strength of opinion amongst their customers about the value of the branch.

Deputy Renouf further said he would be “investigating further” the reasons that Jersey Post did not pursue the possibility of a “banking hub” at Les Quennevais.

He added: “It is a shame that a highly profitable bank that makes much of its commitment to inclusion is not prepared to place a higher priority on customers who are not – for a variety of reasons – able to move into the age of digital banking and/or find travel to the branch in town difficult.”

He claimed that the government could “play a greater role” and create a Customer and Local Services “hub” at Les Quennevais “which could provide a local point of contact with access to government services some days of the week and bank staff on other days”.

HSBC in Les Quennevais remains the only bank branch outside town, with none to serve parishioners in the north or east of the Island.

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