A new banking hub is taking shape in a County Durham town to replace the services that its residents have lost with the closure of branches over the years. 

In the last five years, Newton Aycliffe has faced the closures of Barclays, Santander, and TSB, with the closure of Halifax in 2024 marking the last physical branch in the town to close. 

Each closure of bank branches has seen people of Newton Aycliffe either switch banks or travel to Bishop Auckland, Durham or Darlington to do their banking in branch. 

To combat its residents having to travel to use a bank, a new banking hub is now taking place, which will have access to five different bank companies on different days of the week. 

The planned hub in Newton Aycliffe will be located at Unit B3, The Parade which was previously a TSB bank branch.

The Northern Echo: The progress of the banking hub in Newton AycliffeThe progress of the banking hub in Newton Aycliffe (Image: PAUL HOWELL MP)

The Hub, when it opens, will offer a counter service operated by the Post Office, where customers of all major banks and building societies can carry out regular cash transactions.

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It will also offer a Community Banker service where customers can talk to their own banking provider about more complicated issues, Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm.

Representatives for each bank will be at the hub with the following schedule:

Monday: Barclays

Tuesday: HSBC

Wednesday: Lloyds

Thursday: NatWest

Friday: Santander

It's expected that the banking hub will be open soon, with Sedgefield MP, Paul Howell, sharing the progress of how it's taking shape earlier this week. 

The town's MP, Paul Howell, said on his social medai pages: "Delighted to see the new Newton Aycliffe Banking Hub coming together.

"For the residents, this is a hugely positive step with different banks now delivering face-to-face services again."