ALRESFORD Chamber of Commerce is urging Lloyds Banking Group not to close its branch in Alresford, following fears that it could become a victim of the latest round of cuts.

Lloyds announced at the end of July that it is planning to shut 200 branches and shed another 3,000 jobs across the country, but that the branches to be closed would not be formally identified until a survey of customer use of all branches has been completed.

Following hard on the heels of the loss of 9,000 jobs and 200 branch closures announced two years ago, this latest round of cuts is said to be due in part to a 15 per cent fall in the number of transactions in branches compared with last year.

The clear message from the company of “use it or lose it” is particularly poignant in Alresford where the loss would be more significant than most in that Lloyds is the only bank left standing in the town.

A spokesman for Alresford Chamber of Commerce said: “While we understand modern ways of banking are important, having no physical banking facility in a town as vibrant as Alresford is crazy.

“We would urge Lloyds to view their position in Alresford as one of strength, especially considering the planned 350 houses to be built locally within the next 20 years.”

In response, a Lloyds Bank spokesman explained: “In 2014, we announced the group’s three-year strategy which outlined a programme of planned branch closures. We have closed a number of Lloyds Bank branches as part of this programme and in the majority of cases this is due to an overlap of branches in these towns and in some cases reduced demand levels.

“In July 2016, we announced that we have expanded our branch closure programme to include an additional 200 closures across the Lloyds Banking Group branch network. We remain committed to our Lloyds Bank branch network and branches will continue to play an important role in our multi-channel approach to meeting customer needs. At the same time, we are investing heavily in digital and mobile to give our customers choice.”

In line with the Access to Banking protocol terms, where the company is considering closing a branch, it says it will carry out a full pre-closure assessment, taking into consideration such information as the location of post offices, availability of nearby ATMs, and the transport links to alternative branches.

The statement continues: “The expansion of the branch closure programme is not related to the Brexit decision. This is about responding to changing customer needs. We have seen an accelerated uptake of digital services which means fewer people are using our branches.”

Any closures are expected to take place before the end of 2017.