Further Norfolk pressure on Lloyds Bank over cheque decision

[TrueBlueTerrier]

https://www.northnorfolknews.co.uk/news ... -decision/

Further pressure has been exerted on a major bank to rethink its decision not to allow customers to deposit cheques at post office branches and banking hubs.

Seven Norfolk MPs were among 120 cross-party politicians who had written to Lloyd's Bank's chief executive Charlie Nunn urging him to reconsider the decision, which came into effect in December.

And a county councillor has backed those calls, highlighting the difficulties it presents to people in North Walsham.

The town has seen bank branches such as Lloyds, Barclays and Santander close in recent years, but it does now have a banking hub in the former Barclays building in the Market Place, run by Cash Access UK and the Post Office.

But Lucy Shires, who represents the town at Norfolk County Council and North Norfolk District Council, said Lloyds should allow its customers to deposit cheques via that hub.

The Liberal Democrat councillor said: "Residents did not choose to lose their local bank branches. They were told that Banking Hubs and Post Offices would ensure continued access to essential banking services.

“When those replacement services cannot provide basic functions such as cheque deposits, that promise begins to ring hollow.

"This issue affects local businesses, community organisations, charities and individuals who still rely on cheque payments.

"For many people, particularly those in rural areas, travelling to another town is not a simple or convenient option."

Age UK research shows that about half of people aged 65 and over still use cheques.

A Lloyds spokeswoman said its customers were still able to pay in cheques - albeit via different methods.

She said: "Customers have a range of options to pay in cheques with us, whether that's through our app, at an immediate deposit machine, at a branch counter, or using our freepost service which allows them to conveniently send cheques at any post box or post office."

They said industry figures showed that cheques have been in long-term decline and accounted for only 0.1pc of all UK payments in 2024.

Norfolk MPs who signed the cross-party letter were Conservatives George Freeman (Mid Norfolk) and Jerome Mayhew (Broadland and Fakenham), Labour MPs Ben Goldsborough (South Norfolk), Terry Jermy (South West Norfolk), Clive Lewis (Norwich South), Alice Macdonald (Norwich North) and Green Adrian Ramsay (Waveney Valley).