Frustration over loss of town’s assets and services as Shipston’s Lloyds Bank is to close later this year - with more new houses on way

THE news that Shipston’s Lloyds Bank is to close later this year dealt a blow to townspeople already furious over the loss of many of the area’s assets and services.

Shipston’s sole bank, located in High Street, will close in November as part of a scale-back by Lloyds Banking Group that will see 214 branch closures in 2025 and 2026.

Lloyds has said it will run a community banker scheme, where a bank worker will regularly visit a venue in the area, to help customers with their banking needs. Meanwhile, the nearest branch will be Lloyds in Moreton, and the handiest nearby cashpoint will be at the Co-op supermarket opposite the current location. The Post Office in High Street also offers some banking counter services.

Resident Angie Dexter is among bank customers who will feel the loss of the branch in Shipston.

“I use the bank every week for my personal needs,” she said. “I don’t trust the internet service at all. Someone has tried to scam me several times, the personal service is best. Please save Shipston bank!”

With the decline of physical banks, Age UK has launched a campaign to help older people bank. It found that 75 per cent of those aged 65 still want to visit a branch; and only 14 per cent of the 85+ age group bank online.

Stratford MP Manuel Perteghella has asked for an urgent meeting with Lloyds. “They announced the closure of the branch in Alcester recently, and Bidford closed a few years ago. It is just not good enough,” she said.

Shipston’s only bank closing is among a slew of other negative issues affecting the town currently. This has prompted the formation of a campaign group fighting to ‘Save Our Shipston’ – as they vowed to oppose the building of 1,600-plus new homes as being proposed in the South Warwickshire Local Plan and the creation of a new hospital with no beds.

Both the beds and houses are being consulted on currently. To this end, ‘pop-in displays’ were recently put up at Townsend Hall by those working on the hospital consultation; while representatives from Stratford District Council were at the leisure centre to answer questions from the public on housing developments plans.

Many, like resident Danny Boyce, were highly critical of what was presented to them. He said: “We really are on the brink and seem to be in the firing line of Stratford District Council and Warwickshire County Council.

“I attended both consultations for the hospital and the proposed new house building projects. The representatives in both cases were clueless and tin-eared to the concerns of existing residents and local people. The town is losing its character year by year to the point where it will eventually become unrecognisable.

“Our infrastructure is at breaking point and not able to cope with an already swollen population. Sadly, the current government has loosened planning restrictions meaning our fight against these issues are even harder now.”

But Shipston is not prepared to give up its assets without a fight. Save Our Shipston says it wants to put issues in the spotlight.

The Herald photographer is meeting the group and residents who feel strongly about the issues this Saturday, 8th February at 10am at Mill Street car park.