An appeal against a decision not to create a banking hub in Wokingham has been rejected.
Former town mayor Lynn Forbes had applied to LINK, the company responsible for creating the shared banking facilities, but that failed in November 2024 after officials from the organisation visited the town in September 2024 and spoke to residents, businesses, charities and council officials.
This week, LINK has told Lynn that her appeal against the decision has also been unsuccessful.
The organisation cited a number of factors. It said it had accounted for the correct local population, and that it was satisfied with access to cash in the town.
Hundreds of residents, retailers and charities had contacted Wokingham Today to support the introduction of a banking hub, and this formed part of the initial application.
In that application, many residents and businesses had expressed their serious concerns about a lack of banking facilities in Wokingham.
Currently, only HSBC and Nationwide provide personal banking facilities to their customers in the town.
But in its rejection, it noted that under the current rules, LINK’s assessment criteria are based on access to cash and not access to banking.
It said the Post Office inside WH Smith’s had confirmed that it has the capacity to serve the community for deposit and withdrawal facilities, and have also confirmed that there are no plans to close this Post Office.
A very disappointed Lynn told Wokingham Today: “I’m looking at all the available options, and I don’t believe this is the end.”
Wokingham MP Clive Jones, who had recently raised the issue in the House of Commons, also confirmed he would be continuing to press for a banking hub for Wokingham.
