Esther McVey has welcomed the news Wilmslow will get a banking hub following more than a year of talks with banking bosses on behalf of constituents to secure the provision.
Ms McVey said the hub was vital for both businesses and residents and she had been in regular contact with LINK making the case following the decline in banks and building societies in the area.
Ms McVey said: “Residents have been telling me they wanted a hub and I am pleased LINK has listened and that we have been able to secure a hub for Wilmslow. But along with the good news comes the bad news Santander is closing next year.
“Banking services are vital for our towns and residents and business need to be able to pay in or access cash without being forced to travel miles.”
LINK contacted Ms McVey today and said it agreed with her that there was a “gap in cash access services available in the local area that causes a significant impact for the community”.
A location for the hub has yet to be confirmed.
Ms McVey said while banking hubs offered a “solution” they were not a replacement for branches and that banks had failed customers and that they need to maintain a presence on the high street.
She added: “Banks hold a captive market – and they are not living up to the standards of their agreements by walking away from their responsibilities. Banks have become a law until themselves. The need to be more accountable to their customers.”
Santander is due to close at the end of January next year. It follows the closure of NatWest and Halifax last year.