Norbury residents are rallying to save the last bank of the high street from closure

Norbury residents are desperate to stop the proposed closure of their NatWest branch. The possible closure would leave the area without a single bank. The bank is relied upon by the area’s large elderly population, as well as charities and small business owners.

Community opposition to the closure attracted the support of Labour’s candidate for Croydon North, Steve Reed, who later set up a petition which attracted 471 signatories. Area residents believe this potential closure demonstrates a “decline” in the streets in general and throughout the neighborhood.

At an event organized by Steve Reed, residents explained why they decided to show their opposition to the proposed closure. One such resident was Shirley, who has lived just a few hundred yards from the bank since 1994.

Read more: Parents in Croydon say they are not letting their children walk home from school for fear of stabbings

Shirely said: “When I first moved to Norbury I think there were seven banks and they just slowly evaporated and our high street died with it. It is a real sin.

“There are still shops, but you don’t have a healthy variety and a sense of community, so people go elsewhere. Banks are important to the community, you bump into people at the bank.”

NatWest is the last remaining bank branch on the high street and Lloyds and Barclays pulled branches from Norbury last year. For this reason, it has been relied upon by many in the local area, not only for financial management, but also for simple access to cash.

Many of the nearest remaining branches are either in Streatham, Croydon or Tooting. While bus services serve these routes, many people who can’t afford either or make long journeys said they would be “punished” if the bank closed.

Labor councilor Matt Griffiths, who represents the Norbury and Pollards Hill ward, said: “These banks think we can take the bank from there, what does it matter when Streatham is on the way? Yes, Streatham is on the road, but for many people it is inconvenient or even impossible if you are a person with reduced mobility.

“What we’re also seeing is that places like the old Barclays have planning apps for slot machine places, so people are seeing their access to places that will take care of their money replaced by places that want to take it.

“It really distills that sense of constant decline of the high street. There are many reasons why we want NatWest to keep it open, it almost becomes a moral responsibility really.”

Access to cash on Norbury High Street, or the lack of it, was a particular concern for people at the demonstration last Friday (May 31). The closure of the bank would mean the high street would have no ATM inside, which many locals see as a pressing security concern.

Resident Damian said: “I know we’re moving towards a cashless society but I always end up needing cash and this is where I get my money.”

“If it was closed I’d have to walk all the way to the other end of the road to the only cash point left on the high street and I can’t imagine what the queues would be like outside.”

Shirley shared these concerns and added that her fear of anti-social behavior often centers around ATMs.

She said: “At some, there are people sitting around and you can just assume people are up to no good. It’s just a matter of personal security and I no longer use the ATM at night.”

The bank is also used by several volunteer organizations operating in the area. The Cassandra Centre, a domestic violence charity, has accounts at NatWest as it is the last bank left near its base.

As a charity they have suffered from previous closures. They used to run some of their services from the old Lloyd’s bank premises before it closed in recent years and have since been unable to find a permanent home.

Many residents noted that Norbury often feels “left behind” and “forgotten” and said this latest incident was a symptom of this. Geographically, it is in the far north of Croydon and is passed on the way to its larger neighbor Streatham.

That was a view shared by Steve Reed, who held a talk outside the branch with a crowd of Labor activists and residents. Reed, who has been MP for Croydon North since the 2012 by-election, was also previously leader of Lambeth Council.

Asked why Norbury residents feel the high street is dying, Mr Reed said: “It’s very interesting because it’s all on the same road from Streatham to Croydon and not long ago it was the most prosperous part and Streatham was’ t.

“We invested heavily in Streatham, we negotiated with Tesco to build the superstore, they built the leisure center as part of it. All this attracted more money and regenerated them.

“If Croydon Council did the same kind of things we were doing in Streatham, there’s no reason why Norbury couldn’t thrive the way Streatham is thriving.

“The council is not good enough, they are not thinking about the regeneration of district centers. People only have to look at the wasteland that is the town center in Croydon, which is not the same in the neighboring borough.”

Councilor Leila Ben-Hassel, who represents the Norbury and Pollards Hill ward alongside Griffiths, believes the Tory-led Council could take more responsibility for the regeneration of the high street, but acknowledged that change is needed at a national level.

“The council has powers with its local plans, but planning is too dependent on national legislation. We need more powers to be given to local authorities so they can then shape their high streets and environment and have a say.”

She added: “This is very personal for me as my mother has Alzheimer’s. She takes ages to get ready and the branch closes at three so we’ll never be able to get her there.

“We have to call instead, but she gets so confused on the phone that I have to answer questions. Then we get sent to fraud because I answered the questions too many times and my mom answered the questions too badly.”

NatWest has announced that the closure could take place as early as July 23. In his letter to NatWest, Mr Reed wrote: “Whilst I appreciate that for some the trend in banking has been towards online, I am very concerned about residents and businesses who cannot do this, particularly the many local businesses on London Road who depend on in-person banking.”

Anthony Boutall, his Conservative challenger for the seat, also launched his own campaign in the run-up to the campaign. Pending closure, he supports the growth of banking centers in Croydon.

He said: “In Tory-represented Croydon South, a new banking hub will soon arrive. This is being set up by an exciting new organization called Cash Access UK, with the active support of local Tory MP Chris Philp.

“I am already in contact with this interesting organization and I am asking for the votes of residents, so I have a mandate as a local MP to introduce a new banking hub in our area. With local Labor representation, the main banks are closing for Monday and they’ve done nothing about it – apart from some petitions to collect data in the run-up to the election.”

Don’t miss the biggest stories about Croydon. Sign up to our Croydon Central newsletter HERE for all the latest weekly news and more.