VILLAGERS are continuing to grumble over the recently announced closure of the last remaining bank in South Brent.

Three weeks ago, Lloyds said it will close its branches in South Brent, Modbury, Dartmouth and Salcombe in March 2017.

With the exception of Dartmouth, Lloyds is the last bank in all these places, after competitors like Natwest and Barclays shut up shop in many smaller towns and villages. And residents have been making their feelings known to the company, with letters sent and meetings held as locals and their town and parish councils demand answers as to why the closures have been ordered.

This week’s meeting of South Brent’s full parish council was the first since Lloyds made the announcement, and members of Sustainable South Brent attended, joining councillors in expressing their displeasure.

Penny Wainwright from the group said she thought the action taken so far, including a meeting between council chairman Greg Wall and Lloyds managers, had been ’splendid’. However she wanted to see if local groups could get together and do something to express their concerns.

Cllr Carol Doree noted that as of two days before the meeting, the landlord of the building had still not been told the bank was to shut. Town clerk Julia Willoughby said the council had three accounts with Lloyds, and she had not been notified either.

Cllr Glyn Richards confirmed that even in this technological age, it was still not possible to deposit cash online.

South Hams Council chairman Cllr Peter Smerdon, who represents South Brent at the district council, said he personally used the bank on a weekly basis and had asked what the future of it was, but always received a ’bland’ answer. He added South Hams Council had written to Lloyds, but had yet to receive a response.

Cllr Wall said that in his meeting with the ’suited gentlemen’ from the bank, they had said they would provide a ’bank on wheels’ at least once a week.

Cllr Cathie Pannell asked whether it might be worth approaching the banking ombudsman, while Cllr Richards believed Lloyds had said they would not close a branch if it was the last one in a village. However Cllr Smerdon said this agreement had ’come under pressure’ and was no longer in force, while Mrs Wainwright put it differently, saying Lloyds had ’reneged’.

Cllr Smerdon did add there was a protocol to be followed when closing a branch, with steps to be taken before, including a consultation period, and after, which the parish council should look at.

Cllrs Sue Gaskin and Mandy Haley discussed the effect on South Brent News and Stores, which provides limited Post Office services following the closure of the village’s dedicated Post Office. As the only place now offering any kind of banking services to locals, the councillors feared the business would come under increased pressure.

Cllr Gaskin said Post Offices in villages ’could not just be left to deal with problems without any consultation’, while Cllr Haley said she would ’hate to see more pressure put on’ the business.

She added many of the village’s more elderly residents were very concerned by the closure.

Councillors voted to write to Lloyds setting out their concerns.