Ballynahinch next to get dedicated town banking hub

Ballynahinch next to get dedicated town banking hub

18 December 2024

BALLYNAHINCH will be the next local town to open a dedicated banking hub.

LINK – the UK’s Cash Access and ATM network – has confirmed the market town will be the latest to benefit from a new banking hub, with others having opened recently in Newcastle and Comber.

Moves to open the new hub follows a community request from Newry, Mourne and Down Council and Strangford MLAs Harry Harvey and Nick Mathison.

Banking hubs are shared banking spaces, similar to a traditional bank branch, but available to all banking customers. 

When opened, the hub will consist of a counter service operated by Post Office employees, where customers of any bank can withdraw and deposit cash, make bill payments and carry out regular banking transactions.

In addition, there will be private spaces where customers can speak to community bankers from their own bank for more complicated matters that require specialist knowledge or privacy. 

The banks work on a rotating basis, so there will be staff from different banks available on different days. 

Ballynahinch’s recommendation for a new hub follows a community request to LINK, who determined that the town requires additional cash services to support local businesses and banking customers.

The hub will now be delivered by Cash Access UK and over the next few weeks, it will begin to engage with the community and start to look for potential sites.

It’s expected the new hub will open in one year’s time.

To date, LINK has recommended 176 banking hubs across the UK including Ballynahinch, with the one in the market town the sixth to be recommended in Northern Ireland.

Mr Harvey said he’s “absolutely delighted” to have received confirmation that Ballynahinch has been approved for a new shared banking hub.

“It’s been a long running battle to bring banking services back to Ballynahinch and I am thrilled that we have been successful in our efforts to see this local service return to the high street,” he said.

“Access to cash is an issue of great importance within the area so I am sure this news will be welcomed by many in the locally.”

Mr Harvey added: “I look forward to continuing to work with LINK and Cash Access UK as they finalise plans to open the hub facility.”

Mr Mathison is also pleased a new hub is to open to meet the needs of bank customers.

He added: “Ballynahinch is a large town with no banking services and limited access to ATMs, so this new banking hub will be a much-needed addition.

“It will provide residents and businesses with vital access to face-to-face banking services. I look forward to the opening of the hub and will continue to work closely with Cash Access UK to support the delivery of this important project.”

LINK’s chief commercial officer, Dr Chris Ashton, said while more people are choosing to bank and pay for things digitally, we know that many people still rely on cash and face-to-face banking. 

“That’s why we’re delighted to recommend a new hub in Ballynahinch. There are almost one hundred hubs open across the country and when it opens, the Ballynahinch banking hub will be vital for the local community and high street.”