CLOSURE BY LLOYDS BANK OF WHITEGATE DRIVE, BLACKPOOL BRANCH

That this House is extremely concerned by the decision of Lloyds Bank to close its branch on Whitegate Drive in Blackpool; regrets its failure to consult either the Councillors for the area or the hon. Member for Blackpool South before this announcement; recognises that significant numbers of businesses, many of them small and local residents, will be unable to access local facilities, with the nearest alternative branch being too far; and is saddened by the failure of Lloyds Banking Group to understand that consultation does not consist of telling people after the event and that its corporate reputation is not improved by the rubber-stamp nature of such exercises.