Call for Westbourne Nationwide to Stay Open

Local solicitor, Alex Wells, is calling on the Nationwide to reconsider its decision to close their branch in Westbourne. The next nearest Nationwide branch is in central Bournemouth.

In an interview with The Echo he said, “I really think the management of Nationwide is being very short-sighted in this move. The reason given for closure is they have apparently not secured enough new business.

“What about all the loyal customers that need servicing, most of whom, like me, have been with the society and its predecessors for 25 years or more?”

Many of the customers are older people who preferred a local branch, and do not bank online.

“Management clearly do not appreciate their customer base, many of whom rely on the local branch to do their business,” he said.

After the merger of the Nationwide and Portman three years ago, the Westbourne branch of the Portman was turned into a pizza restaurant.

Mr Wells added, “Both building society branches were busy, so it must have left a huge number of people with only the Nationwide. Whenever I go there there’s always a queue. To abandon us is a shame. I want somewhere to pay my cash in. There seems no point in holding on to accounts when you can’t get them serviced.”

Nationwide had a 46 per cent fall in profits earlier this year and said the decision to close Westbourne was only taken after “careful consideration” of customers’ needs.

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