THE Wellington branch of Lloyds Bank in Fore Street has ended confusion over its closure by saying it will remain open until at least March 29 next year.

The branch announced at the end of April that it would be closing on September 13 and a notice announcing this has been in place on its front door since then.

But late this week the bank told the Wellington Weekly this would not be the case and it would remain open until a new banking hub for the town was in place.

The announcement has brought relief to its many customers who faced either going on-line or travelling to its Taunton branch.

Customers are delighted, and one told me: “This is great news for the town. I don’t know of anyone who wanted it to close. I don’t want to do on-line banking and that’s why I have stayed with Lloyds.”

While customers are glad it is not closing, they have been mystified by Lloyds’ decision not to tell them.

One member of staff at Lloyds said the notice on its front door saying it was closing on September 13 would remain until ’new literature was available.'

Wellington Town Clerk Dave Farrow said yesterday: "The Town Council has contacted Lloyds Bank in relation to the sign on the branch door stating that the branch will be closing on September 13. It reminded them that it had given a commitment back in March to remain open until a banking hub had been established in the town or until March 29, 2024,whichever was the earlier.

"It advised Lloyds that Cash Access UK, which is responsible for developing the hub, had advised the council that it could take up to a year to set a hub up. They had started work on this in April. On that basis there was no possibility of the hub being in place by the September 13 this year.

"The council has this week received a response from Lloyds Bank reaffirming its commitment to ‘keep the branch open for up to 12 months from the date of the closure announcement to allow for the new banking hub to be delivered’. On that basis the council has asked Lloyds to remove the sign stating that the branch will be closing on September 13 and replace it with one that explains more accurately what the position is."