Lib Dems call for banking hub to serve Plymstock residents

Local Liberal Democrats are calling for action to bring in-person high street banking facilities back to Plymstock, following the closure of the Lloyds branch at the Broadway shopping centre.

Commenting, Steve Guy, Lib Dem candidate for Plymstock Dunstone in the upcoming council elections, said: "I remember growing up in Plymstock when there were several bank branches on the Broadway. Now there are none.

"We can't just let these vital local services drift away."

Steve, who earlier in his career worked in high street finance in Plymouth, added: "A lot of the challenge here is national, and we need to see action from the Labour Government on these kinds of issues. But there is also a lot that councils can do, like working with banks to set up banking hubs. These are where a number of banks share premises to provide basic in-person services, and that might only be on certain days of the week. It gives people the option of speaking to a human being, and not every situation is one an app or AI chatbot can handle.

"Take needing to visit your bank because a loved one has died and you need to sort their affairs. Who wants to do that through an app? Or someone in real financial difficulty who needs to talk things through with their bank. Some things need face-to-face contact, and the steady retreat of the banks makes that harder.

"We need a council that is better at championing local residents and finding solutions like this. That is what I would do as a councillor. Plymstock needs a louder, more independent, more effective voice in the council chamber."