Virgin Money ‘letting us all down’ by closing Chesterfield branch, councillor says

The firm’s shop at Vicar Lane will close for good from 2pm on January 26, 2022.

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According to the company, ‘more and more people’ are now managing their money online or over the phone.

But Liberal Democrat Councillor Ed Fordham, who is also a market trader in Chesterfield, condemned the closure of the store, formerly Yorkshire Bank.

He said: “When I moved to Chesterfield I deliberately chose Yorkshire Bank as they had a branch in the town into which I could make cash payments.

“When Virgin Money took over, they assured customers that service would be maintained.

“They are now letting us all down by closing this branch – they are failing the market town of Chesterfield and frankly they have made a mistake.

“I’m now changing bank – and Virgin Money has lost my custom and my confidence.

“They could reconsider their decision or they could leave Chesterfield having let the town down.”

Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins recently held a Zoom call with Virgin Money management.

He described the upcoming branch closure as a ‘bitter blow to staff and customers’, including himself.

“I expressed my disgust – which will make no difference – and asked them to do more to support vulnerable customers,” he said.

“I hope they’ll consult with customers as well as inform them, to discuss whether mobile units or satellite branches would help.

“I feel for the excellent staff there,” he added.

The Chesterfield shop is one of 31 Virgin Money stores across the UK set to close, leaving 112 staff at risk of redundancy.

A Virgin Money spokesperson said: “Virgin Money regularly reviews the ways customers use its stores, as well as its online, mobile and telephone channels, so that it can adapt its services to meet changing customer demand.

“The decision to close a store is based on a number of factors, including location, usage, proximity to alternative stores and lease arrangements.

“Each store was assessed on an individual basis, with careful consideration of the impact on the local area, as well as the needs of vulnerable customers and the accessibility of alternative services such as free-to-use ATMs and Post Offices.”

In a letter to customers, the business said: “After a review of how customers are using our stores, we’ve made the difficult decision to close our Chesterfield store on January 26, 2022.

“We’re sorry for the inconvenience and want to make sure you know about all the other ways you can bank with us.

“Your account details will stay the same and there are no changes to the way our accounts work.

“You’ll be able to visit any of our Virgin Money stores, including those in all major cities across the country, where our friendly colleagues will do everything they can to help.

“You can also visit your local Post Office, which can help with a range of banking services.

“More and more people choose to manage their money online or over the phone.

“Our app is a quick and safe way to manage money

“To make sure we’ve got a bigger and brighter bank that’s built for the future, it makes sense for us to spend money improving the ways to bank that our customers are choosing to use.”

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