Lee Rowley MP slams ‘outrageous’ plans as last bank in Derbyshire village set to close

Lee Rowley, Conservative MP for North East Derbyshire, confirmed today that the Lloyds branch on Market Street, Eckington is set to close.

In a statement, he said: “This is a hugely disappointing announcement, particularly when we have been trying to build bank services back up in the constituency and building a case for the regeneration of Eckington over the last couple of years.

“Outrageously, it has also been undertaken without any consultation or forewarning. I know that the use of bank branches has changed significantly in recent years but, at the same time, there needs to be an accessible network. The loss of the last branch from Eckington does not align with that – and Lloyds behaviour is extremely poor.”

Rowley said he planned to raise the issue with Lloyds – and encouraged residents to sign a petition calling on the company to reverse their plans.

“I have already spoken to local Conservative councillors in Eckington and we will be fighting this as much as we can. The first step is to meet with Lloyds to understand their specific reasons for closure, to highlight why this is important for Eckington and to seek reconsideration – we have already requested the meeting and hope to hold it as soon as possible.

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We have also started a petition so that we can make our voices known loudly. If you support keeping banking in Eckington, please sign it here.

“We will need your help and will keep you informed.”