Closure leaves another Norfolk town without a bank

Lloyds closed the branch in Gorleston on Monday and removed its signs and fixtures and fittings within hours

People living in Norfolk's fifth-biggest town have been left without a bank after the last branch closed this week.

Lloyds said customer numbers had fallen at its Gorleston branch, making it unviable.

It was the last bank in the town, with Barclays, NatWest and HSBC having already closed their branches there.

A spokesperson said: "As many customers now choose to bank through their app or online, visits to our Gorleston-on-Sea branch have fallen over recent years."

Customers who want to continue using a branch will have to travel to the bank's Great Yarmouth branch.

Gorleston's population was 24,481 in 2021, according to that year's Census, making it the fifth biggest urban centre in Norfolk.

It is smaller than Norwich, King's Lynn, Great Yarmouth and Thetford, but towns including Dereham, Wymondham and North Walsham all still have banks despite having smaller populations.

Downham Market, Harleston, Holt and Watton have Post Office Banking Hubs which offer services on behalf of most of the major banks.

A decade ago Gorleston had branches of all the main UK banks, and a number of building societies.

But now it is only at the post office – which is in a Spar store – that customers can carry out some financial transactions.

Emma Washbourne said she had not used a bank branch in years but understands the issue for those who rely on them

Emma Washbourne, 45, from Gorleston, said: "It's not nice for people that did use the bank and I know a lot of people are put off going into Yarmouth, so it doesn't bode well that there were five or six not so long ago and now there are none.

"Maybe we didn't use it. I do bank with a branch that used to be here but everything seems to have moved online."

Dale Nichols, 34, from Gorleston, and Mark Williams, from Great Yarmouth, said online and mobile banking were not suitable for everyone

Dale Nichols, 34, also from Gorleston, said: "It's ridiculous, especially with most of the people [being] older. They don't do online banking, they don't know what to do."

Mark Williams, from Great Yarmouth, said: "If you don't drive, you've got to get a bus. You've then got to wait for a bus, which sometimes doesn't turn up, then travel into Great Yarmouth, which takes about 20 minutes depending on traffic.

"Then you've got to get to the bank, so it could take near enough an hour just to get to the bank."

Bryony Marshall, 38, and daughter Isabelle Brown, 18, will have to travel further to get to a bank

Bryony Marshall, 38, from Gorleston, said: "Both my children regularly put money into their bank accounts and we have to travel into town to find a bank to put the money in.

"We obviously don't do it as often as we would like to because you've got to travel further away now."

Her daughter Isabelle Brown, 18, said: "Some people can't always travel to Yarmouth and get on the bus to get to the bank, so it's not very good."

Sally Phipps, 52, from Gorleston, said going to a bank branch would cause her pain and fatigue

Sally Phipps, 52, from Gorleston, said the branch closures had a particular impact on her. She uses a mobility scooter to get around because of health conditions.

She uses mobile banking apps and online services, but she also uses branches regularly.

"I have to get on the bus, with difficulty," she said.

"I have to use crutches instead of my mobility scooter. I have to go fortnightly to get change, so I have to go to a bank. It isn't easy for disabled people."

"[Gorleston] has been ruined. There will be nothing left here soon."

Lloyds said customer transactions at the branch had fallen by 45% between 2019 and 2024, and 75% of its customers used online banking or the mobile app.

It added: "Customers can continue to manage their money online, by calling us, in person at our Great Yarmouth branch or in the nearby local post office on the High Street."