Cash hubs open in two bankless towns
Getty ImagesBanking hubs have opened in two towns that lost all their bank branches.
Cash Access UK, a not-for-profit company funded by major High Street banks, has launched the services in Prudhoe and Alnwick, in Northumberland.
Prudhoe's is based in a temporary home in the town's Spetchells Centre, while Alnwick's has opened in its permanent location on Paikes Street.
Alnwick's last banks - Lloyds and Halifax - closed in 2025, as did Prudhoe's Lloyds.
Customers of all major banks can visit the hubs any weekday between 09:00-17:00 for withdrawals and deposits, as well as to check balances and pay bills.
The hubs also offer a service where customers can talk in a private space about more complicated issues on the day a representative from their bank is present.
Serving 'rural hinterland'
Green councillor Martin Swinbank, who represents the Alnwick Hotspur ward, believes access to banking services is "really important to many residents and businesses".
"Alnwick serves not just local residents and visitors, but also a wider rural hinterland," he said.
"Having a banking hub located here will draw people into the town, which is good for all local businesses."
In Prudhoe, Lloyds' closure coincided with many shops, including the Co-op supermarket, taking the decision to stop a cash-back service.
Resident Nicola Batey told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that had put pressure on the town's two remaining cash machines, leading to frequent issues.
"I've really struggled to get cash out quite a lot," she said. "I have had to go elsewhere, even to the Post Office in Wylam [about two miles away]."
Cash Access UK says it is working to secure a long-term home for the banking hub in Prudhoe.
Northumberland now has three hubs with one having already opened in Amble.