from Jonathan Davies MP for Mid Derbyshire https://ift.tt/DqIEzNd
Since COVID, a lot of our financial interactions have gone digital. Even at events like street markets, traders have embraced the contactless payment. And yet there is still a role for cash.
Banking hubs are set up and funded by groups of banks, operating under their own initiative. They are the result of a collaborative industry response to bank branch closures, and appear in high streets where there is a dearth of branches. The 100th banking hub in the UK was opened in December 2024.
I learned on my visit that the Belper branch is consistently one of the busiest banking hubs in the UK, showing that these services are greatly valued by residents and have the potential to support our high streets.
While many people now manage most of their financial affairs online, brick-and-mortar services in our high streets are still needed. A face-to-face conversation is far more accessible for some people than internet or phone, and the advice and assistance these services offer can be invaluable.
To help support our local high streets and ensure that these valued services can keep going, we need to continue to make use of them.