In-person banking services returned to Welshpool for the first time in almost a year as the town’s bank hub was officially opened.

After over a year of development, Welshpool’s Banking Hub officially opened on Broad Street on Thursday, December 14, at 2pm, with politicians and councillors on hand to cut the ribbon.

Montgomeryshire MP Craig Williams was in attendance, as well as Montgomeryshire Member of the Senedd Russell George and Welshpool councillor Richard Church.

Mr Williams said: “I’m over the moon that the hub has finally opened and is ready to serve the people of Welshpool.

County Times: The counter at Welshpool Bank Hub.

“It comes at a vital time as well, as faith in politicians is quite frankly at a low point, so what we need are more things delivered and not just promised. What we have here is LINK looking at how people can access cash in an area with the absence of high street banks and Cash Access delivering a way for people to do that.

“It’s such a brilliant service to have a brand new facility like this, with access to five of the main banks most commonly used in Montgomeryshire.

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“I would be even more thrilled if we were able to see a cash point as that’s something else people in Welshpool have identified as a need for the town, but I’ve been assured that is on its way as well.

“This is the first hub of its kind in Montgomeryshire and will hopefully be the first step towards securing similar facilities for other communities in need of banks such as Machynlleth and Llanidloes.”

County Times: Financial advisors for Natwest, Barclays, Lloyds, HSBC and Santander at Welshpool Bank Hub.

The hub has been in development since August 2022, when Lloyds announced it would be closing its Welshpool branch and leaving the town with no high street banks, securing a lease to operate from the building formerly occupied by Lloyds.

The hub will serve as a home for over the counter banking services, customers of all major banks and building societies should be able to carry out regular cash transactions, as well as talk to their own bank about more complicated issues.

One of the staff behind the hub’s counter, Paul Culverwell, said: “Its extremely good to see the hub finally open and the people of Welshpool have been very accommodating to it.

County Times: Bank services will be avaiolable throughout the week at Welshpool Bank Hub.

“Having a facility like this in a town makes a very big difference, a busy bank can serve as the focal point of a town’s high street, so hopefully it will have a real impact on the number of people and businesses in and around town.”