A DECISION to close the last bank in Salcombe has been described as ‘a bitter blow for households and businesses.’

A letter sent from Kingsbridge and Salcombe Chamber of Commerce to Christopher Pascoe, manager at Lloyds Bank in Kingsbridge, has objected to the decision and requests a meeting to discuss the plan.

It says: ‘Lloyds’ decision to attribute the closure of the branch to the change in the way people bank seems to disregard to the particular situation of the branch.

‘Where is the evidence to justify closure of the last bank in Salcombe and to remove one of its two remaining cash points?

‘The makeup of the local residents and businesses are not representative of Lloyds customers as a whole, as it refers to in the press statement.

‘Businesses in Salcombe still rely heavily on branch services such as cash and cheques and the nature of our local industries, such as tourism, can dictate the method of payment.’

It continues: ‘It’s not simply a case of rural businesses being ’behind the times’ as might be suggested.

’In time there will be a tipping point when the branch will be redundant, but it is not yet that time.’

‘If the Chamber had been consulted in line with the British Banker’s Association’s Access to Banking Protocol, we would have told Lloyds this. It isn’t too late and we all hope to hear from Mr Pascoe soon,’ Mr Spencer added.

Salcombe Town Council has also written to the bank, addressing a letter to director of retail and customer finance David Oldfield, to express disappointment that the council, the chamber of commerce and traders ‘did not receive the courtesy of prior warning’ of the closure.

Mayor Cllr Mike Fice explained that the council’s main concerns are ‘adequate provision for cash in the summer months and having a place for local organisations to bank cash.’

The letter draws attention to the British Bank Association’s Access to Banking Protocol, which states: ‘After a bank has decided to close a branch ... the bank will engage with other key local stakeholders - these may include the local authority, local business associations and local advice agencies.’

The protocol states that the purpose of engagement will be to develop a further understanding of ‘the potential impact of the closure on the community, the potential impact on branch users and the availability of alternative ways to bank.’

The letter adds: ‘It is sad that in a year which should see a celebration of 125 years of service we must discuss a closure in a community that relies on a cash outlet and deposit facilities.’

Earlier this year, Lloyds Bank produced a leaflet celebrating the 125th anniversary of their Salcombe branch.

Salcombe Town Council have called on Lloyds to detail their reasons for the closure and their proposals for banking services provision in the town after closure.’

‘Salcombe is a town where many organisations (including businesses, community services and charities) predominantly use cash due to the nature of their activities.

‘The closure of the bank will make it very difficult, and potentially a staff safety and security risk, for these organisations in terms of banking their cash and obtaining change as the local Post Office does not have capacity and is also situated well out of the town centre.’

The letter draws attention to the ‘large proportion of elderly people’ in Salcombe, ‘who do not have internet access and only have access to a restricted public transport service.’

And the council have emphasised the importance of the ATM machine ‘in the summer months when the population and visitors to Salcombe can reach 20,000.’

‘We already have a situation where this and another ATM machine in Salcombe run out of cash regularly during the summer and a reduction in the only two ATM machines would have a significant detrimental effect on the town and its traders.’

The letter concludes by calling on Lloyds to reconsider the closure ‘in the light of the economic damage that it will undoubtedly cause to Salcombe.’

A spokesman for Lloyds Banking Group said: ‘This branch has been identified for closure because of the changing way customers choose to bank with us.

‘The majority of customers now regularly use alternative branches or use other ways to bank, such as online and telephone banking to complete their banking needs.

‘We apologise for any inconvenience that these changes may cause, and have informed customers of the closest alternative branches.

‘We remain committed to this community and we will be introducing a new mobile branch banking service, which will visit Salcombe to support the customers affected by this closure, alongside other ways to access banking locally.

‘Our mobile branches offer everyday banking services, such as making deposits, withdrawing cash and paying bills, as well as helping customers use online banking and make general account or product enquiries. The mobile branch serving Salcombe will be on the road from March next year.

‘In line with the rest of the banking industry we follow the Access to Banking Protocol when closing one of our branches.

‘Between now and the closure date, we will engage with all of our customers, local businesses and the wider local community to make sure they are aware of the alternative ways of accessing their banking with us in the local area, and to answer any questions they might have.

‘We conducted a full pre-closure impact assessment for all branches closing. Before the branch closes (around two weeks beforehand) we will publish a summary of our community engagement and a summary of the pre-closure assessment on Lloyds Bank websites.’

The British Banking Association has declined to comment.