NATWEST BANK: COUNCIL TO COMPLAIN ABOUT BRIGG BRANCH'S IMPENDING CLOSURE

Brigg Town Council is to send an official  letter of complaint to NatWest Bank which intends to close the branch in the Market Place this June.
Coun Rob Waltham, who has held talks with NatWest, made it clear at Brigg Town Council's latest meeting that there seems no likelihood of the bank changing its mind and keeping the local branch open.
The bank was not looking to reverse this "commercial decision."
Coun Waltham, in his role as leader of North Lincolnshire Council, has made it clear to NatWest that public buildings in Brigg can be made available for use by advisers the bank it offering to locate in the town after the branch closes.
The Tourist Information Centre, in the Buttercross, is one possibility.
"The ball's back in their court," Coun Waltham said of NatWest. "Council buildings will be made available."
He added that the proposed NatWest outreach service to advise customers in Brigg "needs to be more permanent."
Coun Mike Campion said a petition he organised with a councillor from Broughton outside the NatWest in Brigg had been signed by 115 people in a few hours, including some unhappy market traders.
He read contents of a letter later received from the bank, but his view was that rather than being The Listening Bank, NatWest was not listening to the public.
Coun Campion was also concerned about the future of the large building currently occupied by the bank - one that "dominates the Market Place."
NatWest's closure in Brigg would also reduce the available cashpoints, he pointed out.
"This is very unsatisfactory from Brigg's point of view," Coun Campion added. "We should deplore this situation."
An increasing number of people - particularly of the younger age group - have now switched to online banking and pay for purchases by card rather than cash, reducing visits to branches like the one in Brigg.
Coun James Truepenny said internet banking was in regular use by some members of the community but not by others. In this changing world, what was needed in the future was "social inclusion."
Coun Jane Kitching said some local people still had difficulty accessing the internet.
She was concerned that some towns where banks had closed had lost trade as people went to shop elsewhere.
Coun Waltham stressed that local people need to keep using those bank branches that remain open in Brigg.
He proposed the Town Council should write to NatWest and express its concern about the affect of the closure on Brigg and district, and also raise the issue of future use of the bank's premises. This was agreed.