Concerns have been raised about what could be the closure of Midsomer Norton’s last bank.
Two weeks ago, a ‘For Sale’ sign was erected outside of TSB in Silver Street indicating that the owner of the building where the town’s last bank branch is located is putting the property up for sale.
This comes just 12 months after the closure of Natwest in Midsomer Norton.
Nathan Hartley, who runs Community Connectors – a resident led community engagement project in the town – said:
“It’s the number one issue that residents have contacted us about recently. Whether they have been a TSB customer or not, the possible closure of our town’s last bank branch signifies something much bigger for many people – the slow removal of essential services from our High Street.”
Nathan has written to TSB who responded this week by saying:
“We are aware that the building owner for our Midsomer Norton branch has put the building up for sale. However, this will not impact the branch in the near future as our existing lease will remain in place.
We have also pledged not to close any branches before 2028 at the earliest unless there is a reason to outside of our control.”
The 6,300 sq ft building is up for sale for £600,000 with Barons Property Agents. Its online listing gives potential buyers the option to convert the building into residential apartments, subject to planning permission.
“Of particular interest is the potential to convert the existing commercial accommodation into residential apartments, subject to obtaining the required planning permission and other necessary consents. The property’s generous floor area and central location make this an attractive proposition for developers and investors seeking a property with scope to add value.”
– Barons Property Agents
The landscape of the British high street has fundamentally changed over the last decade, with banks and building societies closing 6,896 branches since January 2015. This massive wave represents the loss of roughly 70% of the entire UK branch network that existed ten years ago.
“I’ll be keeping residents updated on the future of TSB through our Midsomer Norton Community Connectors newsletter,” added Nathan.
Readers can subscribe by emailing: nathanhartley@midsomernorton.
