CALLINGTON Town Council and a local MP are working together to restore banking services for the town’s residents. 

This comes as the last remaining bank in the town, Lloyds Bank, is set to close its doors at the end of this month.

The town council is working with MP for South East Cornwall, Sheryll Murray in her efforts to bring a banking hub to Callington.

Banking hubs are dedicated spaces where communities can access everyday banking services. 

The MP is in discussions with the Treasury Minister to try to restore a banking service for the town’s residents.

Also it has been confirmed that an in-house community banker will be heading to the town hall complex from next month providing Lloyds Bank customers some banking services.

Clerk to the council, Jo Taylor explained that Ms Murray contacted the town council towards the end of September this year to advise that she had been in contact with Link to assess the viability of creating a banking hub in Callington.  

Link is a cash machine network in the UK that ensures communities have access to cash.

Jo said: “At present, with its current population and footfall, Callington does not fit the criteria. However, Ms Murray is arranging a meeting with the Treasury Minister to see if the criteria can be changed in support of the parish of Callington and Kelly Bray and other similar towns.”

Jo highlighted that although Callington’s current population is around 6,500, this number would increase to almost 18,000 when the surrounding parishes and villages were included.

She added: “The town council has given their support for Ms Murray to speak with the Treasury Minister on its behalf.  

“In the meantime, the town council has contacted Tamar Valley Health and Callington Community College requesting information on their catchment numbers as evidence of the wider area that uses, and relies on, facilities within the town.”

At the most recent town council meeting, Cornwall and Callington councillor Andrew Long expressed his support for Sheryll’s efforts and addressed the council to support the MP. 

Cllr Long said: “I think it’s really important we give our wholehearted support to our MP and to our town council, and any organisation who can help to start the fight back to bring stuff back to Callington.”

The town’s councillors voted in favour of showing unanimous support in efforts the MP is making in discussions with the minister to bring a banking hub to Callington.

Moreover, the proposal for the introduction of an in-house community banker was also discussed at the last meeting with councillors in support of the proposal.

The clerk addressed councillors at the meeting and informed them that a Lloyds community banker had asked the council if they have a room in the town hall complex they could use to provide transitional banking support to the community, following the Lloyds branch closure. 

This would be a room that they can use one day a week to have a community banker based here in Callington.

Following on from this meeting the clerk has confirmed that a Lloyds Community Banker will be based within the complex for a period of 24 weeks from December 7. The facility will be available on Thursdays from 9am to 3.30pm.

Community bankers do not provide cash services but can perform basic transactions such as account balance, direct debit, standing order and bill payment enquiries for both personal and business account customers. 

They are also there to help customers understand what alternative banking channels are available to them, to provide financial education and provide support, including helping customers to stay safe online.