A FORMER Clarks shoe shop in Bodmin is to become the home of the upcoming Bodmin banking hub.

With the announcement that the final two banks in the town, Halifax and Lloyds are to withdraw from the town’s high street, plans to open a replacement hub, operated by the Post Office have been in progress.

Representatives of the major high street banks will take it in turns to visit the new hub on selected days, which will also provide cash management services such as deposit and withdrawal.

However, the new hub will not be open in time to coincide with the closure of Halifax and Lloyds on September 26, which had been delayed from earlier in the year to allow more time for the hub to make progress.

Instead, it is intended, subject to a final contractual agreement with Bodmin Town Council, that a temporary hub will be located inside the Shire House Suite until the permanent building is complete.

It is the fourth banking hub to open in Cornwall, following successful launches in Helston, Looe and Saltash and comes amid a continuing wave of closures by traditional bank branches.

A spokesperson for Cash Access UK, which oversees the roll out of the banking hub network, said: “Subject to formal agreement with the council, we are hoping to open a temporary Banking Hub in Bodmin at Shire House in September. This will provide customers with all the same services as the permanent Hub and will remain open until the permanent Hub is ready. 

“The Hub will offer a counter service operated by the Post Office, where customers of all major banks and building societies can carry out regular cash transactions. It will also provide a Community Banker service where customers can talk to their own bank about more complicated banking issues on the day their bank is in the Hub. 

“The permanent Banking Hub in Bodmin will be located at 6 Fore Street and we’ll update the community as works progress on this.

“This will be the fourth Banking Hub to open in Cornwall following Helston, Looe and Saltash.”