The mobile branch service provided to Brightlingsea residents by Lloyds Bank is to cease at the end of May.
The service – provided fortnightly in a specially-converted van – visited the town fortnightly, but now the bank has decided to pull all its mobile services across the country.
The withdrawal leaves the town with no ‘big bank’ branch facilities, though various banking services are available at the Post Office counter in the Spar. The nearest Lloyds branch is now in Colchester High Street.
For a limited time, Lloyds is to provide a Community Banker service which will operate out of Brightlingsea Library on Wednesday mornings – see dates below. The service will be offer help with card and PIN services, managing accounts, internet banking and Lloyds’ mobile banking app, telephone banking and payments and transfers.
The mobile branch that visited Brightlingsea also called at Frinton and Clare. Lloyds said that over the year to July 2023 it handled 838 personal and 293 business transactions. 46% of customers were aged over 75 and 71% used it for personal banking. Nearly three-quarters of users had used other banking services, such as branches or internet banking, and more than half had used the Post Office. In the six months to July 2023, there were only 32 regular customers.
The Community Banker will be in Brightlingsea Library in New Street on Wednesdays from 11am to 1pm on the following dates:
05 June, 19 June, 03 July, 17 July, 31 July, 14 August, 28 August, 11 September.
