TWO ward councillors have spoken out about the closure of the last remaining bank in Broadstone.

This follows the announcement that two Poole high streets are to lose their branches of NatWest.

The Broadstone and Upper Parkstone branches are among 43 which will shut as the bank moves more services online.

NatWest says the Upper Parkstone branch, which will close on March 7, 2023, was used by only one personal customer on a regular basis in 2021. It was used by 74 business customers on a regular basis that year.

The branch on Lower Blandford Road, Broadstone, which will shut on January 12, was used by four personal customers on a regular basis last year and 120 business customers.

The Broadstone branch is the last remaining bank in the area to close.

Ward councillor for Broadstone, Vikki Slade said: “Having three large, prominent buildings empty on a high street is, is really, really bad for just the look and the feel of the place, the last thing you want is empty buildings.

“There are vulnerable people who struggle with online banking and we keep being told ‘it can all be done online or at the post office’ and that's fine for everyday banking but if you've got something more complicated or you need a private room or something like that, those things just don't exist in the post office.

“So that's the issue. And then you've got that knock on effect and this is where I worry most is, there's maybe 30 or 40,000 people living in the catchment, for the banks of Broadstone. So those people now won't have a reason to come to Broadstone.

“So other businesses will see a drop in their customers and that worries me more than the bank itself closing.

“I don't believe there were only four personal regular customers. That's not true because I see people going in and out of that branch all the time. So I think that's complete poppycock.”

Councillor Slade has written to the local library to ask whether it would be possible to dedicate an office to be used as a banking desk, so that the banks could maintain a presence in the area. However, even if the library can provide the space she doesn’t believe the offer will be taken up.

Broadstone councillor Michael Brooke said: “It’s very disappointing especially because it's the last of the banks in Broadstone and clearly it leaves a very big hole.

“I know that the bank is saying that we can use the post office or go into Poole, but not everyone who's elderly can, and many of them who don't use a telephone or online banking for obvious reasons.

“It just reflects the fact that the banks seem to be more interested in the big customer rather than the average resident of a small town or any town really, because clearly it's happening all over the place and it's just catering to their own wishes and requirements as opposed to those of the public whom they're supposed to serve.

“I know for a fact that there are at least three people in this household that use the bank. I've been in the Broadway, and it's the same with Barlcays as well when people are queuing waiting for the bank to open and that happens on a fairly regular basis.

And of course, there are also the knock on effects because it's another empty premise that'll be quite difficult to let, so it also has a detrimental effect on the high street and trade generally.

NatWest, the UK’s second biggest lender, said the vast majority of its retail banking services can be done digitally and it is the quicker and easier way to bank.