Graham is continuing to fight for access to cash in Hedon following LINK’s decision not to open a banking hub in the town.
Following last week’s announcement that Lloyds in Hedon will close, Graham has been told by cash access watchdog LINK that Hedon will not be eligible for a banking hub.
LINK ruled Hedon “too small” for a Hub, insisting the town didn’t hit its 70-shop and 10,000-adult threshold. With just 39 shops, the decision branded Hedon “insufficient”, sparking outrage from the veteran MP.
LINK has instead ruled that the only action required in Hedon is improving accessibility to the Post Office.
Graham slammed the ruling as a classic “computer says no” stitch-up.
The MP said, “Hedon is historic, it’s proud, and it deserves proper banking services. Hedon is a town in its own right, serving villages like Paull, Preston, Thorngumbald and beyond and isn’t just a suburb of Hull. It’s so much more than that.
Graham has already appealed against the decision. He encourages residents to do so themselves at https://www.link.co.uk/our-assessments/appeal-an-assessment?AppealText=…
The last bank in town, Lloyds, will shut its doors in January 2026, forcing residents into Hull for even the simplest banking tasks. While the local Post Office offers limited services, business owners have noted that size and long queues throughout the day make it unattractive as a place to deposit cash.
Almost 700 residents have already signed Graham’s petition demanding action. Now, alongside Cllrs John Dennis Steve Gallant and Sue Steel, he is determined to make sure the residents of Hedon have the access to cash they deserve.
Graham said, “Despite LINK’s spreadsheet saying that Hedon doesn’t need anything more than a ramp to preserve access to cash for the thousands of people who call the town home.
“While LINK may have said no, I’ll do all I can, including raising access to cash in Parliament, to make sure people can continue to carry out every day banking transactions.
“No one expects banks to keep every branch open in these days of online banking and payment on phones. But we DO expect the organisation charged with protecting access to cash to do that and not just rely on the Post Office which is already busy at all hours of the day.”
Residents are urged to join the fight and sign the petition: grahamstuart.com/HedonBank