A DECISION to reduce the opening hours of Lloyds Bank in Upton-upon-Severn has been blasted by the town’s MP.
From June 1, the High Street bank will be open between 10am and 3pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and Harriett Baldwin, MP for West Worcestershire, has written to the chief executive of Lloyds slamming the move.
Mrs Baldwin wrote to António Horta-Osório complaining about the lack of consultation ahead of the change and has called for a review of the decision before it comes into place.
“The first we all heard about this matter was when signs were placed in the window of the branch.
“This is not an appropriate way to communicate with the town and its customers.
“I would have expected that at a minimum the town council, the local trade association and customers would be consulted before such a radical change is carried out.
“Businesses and residents have to rely on Lloyds as the last bank in town to do their banking and this gives them a greater responsibility.
“Although it is good news most of the Government’s shareholding of Lloyds has now been sold at a profit, I still think these banks owe a special debt to the hard-pressed taxpayers and customers who bailed them out when times were bad.”
She added one of the biggest concerns was the cash machine service and she has asked Lloyds to ensure they are in full working order at all times and able to cope with peak demand periods, for example when tourists visit the town’s very popular music festivals.
“I hope we will gain some concessions from the bank and help it to see sense rather than sneak this change in without proper consultation,” she said.
A Lloyds Bank spokesman said: “We are making changes to the opening hours in our Upton-upon-Severn branch and from June 1 it will open between 10am and 3pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
“These changes have been made to more closely reflect the usage of the branch and the needs of our customers in the area.”
