Minutes:
Councillor Miscandlon stated that no questions had been submitted under Procedure Rules 8.6 and asked if there were any questions under Procedure Rule 8.4 from Councillor Cornwell as Leader of the Opposition Group.
Councillor Cornwell stated that he was disappointed that he had not received a written response to a letter he had sent Councillor Boden on 12 March following the Full Council Meeting held on 23 February 2021. Councillor Boden stated that he was under the impression that he had responded to the correspondence that Councillor Cornwell was referring too and gave assurances that he would ensure that a response was sent without any further delay.
Councillor Cornwell stated that in addition to the closure of its branches in Whittlesey, Chatteris and Ramsey, Barclays Bank have now announced the closure of their branch in March, which provides services to a very large part of Southern and Central Fenland and only leaves the Wisbech Branch in operation. He added that the branch is due to close in late June or early July and its closure will inconvenience local businesses and residents especially the elderly. Councillor Cornwell expressed the view that their decision to close seems to be based on several factors, which Barclays have determined and they have also used the pandemic as a contributing factor. He expressed the opinion that it is ironic given the location of the branch in the town centre and directly in the area which is subject of £6.4 million pounds worth of investment planned to be spent on it, and is not supportive of the community, and he expressed the view that any company that provides a service to the community and relies on community support has a moral duty to support them. Councillor Cornwell asked Councillor Boden if it would be possible for a severe objection to be posed to Barclays on behalf of the Council expressing the concerns of the Council and asking them to reconsider their proposal? Councillor Boden stated that the situation is something which is not unique to March or Fenland and high street banks across the country are closing. He added that it is a shame that Barclays have made the decision to close their March branch and it is also clear that it is a decision which they have made and are not going to retract that decision. Councillor Boden stated that the decision may be due to the lease of the building ending in July, and it may be that they had commercial reasons to close the branch rather than a decision due to footfall. He stated that it is more important to protect the interests of residents and businesses of Fenland as far as possible to be able to access banking facilities in person, rather than to protest on a decision which has already been made. Councillor Boden stated that it is understanding that in Whittlesey and Chatteris those facilities have already been lost and there is the danger that Wisbech and March will follow suit. He stated that there needs to be an engagement process with the remaining High Street banks in March and Wisbech to ensure that these in person banking facilities are not lost. Councillor Boden stated that the commercial reality of the situation is that fewer and fewer branches will exist and the remaining branches need to be made aware of the commercial reality that Fenland is a growing area with a growth agenda and it is in their commercial interests to continue to maintain services rather than expect customers to travel to Peterborough, Kings Lynn, Ely or Cambridge.
Councillor Cornwell reiterated his initial question as to whether Councillor Boden is prepared to write to Barclays and then engage with the existing High Street banks? Councillor Boden stated that as Barclays is one of the High Street’s major banking establishments they will of course be contacted, and he added that the letter to Barclays will also raise our disappointment and anger of the banks closure in March. He stated that looking forward the protection of in person banking facilities in Fenland is imperative where it still exists.