Banking hub bid to help local businesses

Sage Coffee Shop owner Marie Sage said business owners had noticed a decline in footfall since the area's banks had closed

A community group has launched a campaign to bring a bank back to its local high street.

Earlsdon, in Coventry, currently has a cafe, a Post Office, two supermarkets and several other shops – but no longer has a bank.

There used to be four banks in the area, but now the only place offering some similar services is the local Post Office.

The Earlsdon 2.0 volunteer group has ambitions to set up a banking hub, where major brands share facilities in one location.

Sage Coffee Shop owner, Marie Sage said business owners had noticed a decline in footfall since the area’s banks had closed.

It has also had an impact on businesses doing their own banking, she said.

“Obviously we need to bank every day, and if it wasn’t for the fact we’ve got the Post Office we’d have to physically either go into town or go to another part of the city to do our banking.”

Dharmender Rai, from Earlsdon 2.0, said a banking hub could be the ideal solution to the problem.

He said: “We’re not saying bring all the banks back, but what we’re saying is at least have one banking hub where multiple banks can be in the same building.”

The group recently commissioned a mural by Coventry artist Katie O with the slogan "bring back banks" on the front of the former Lloyds Bank building.