The Campaign for Community Banking Services (CCBS), on behalf of consumer, community and small business organizations, cannot endorse the British Bankers Association's (BBA) forthcoming pilot scheme as a true test of the shared branch principle or as a realistic indicator of customer demand for local access to banking services.

The BBA has consistently refused to discuss the selection criteria for the 10 communities to be included in the pilot scheme so CCBS has no information on which to judge the validity of the results which the banks intend to use in determining the case for rollout or withdrawal of the service.

CCBS will continue its endeavours with the banking industry, Government and influencers to get an agreed well structured pilot of the shared branch principle which was the first choice of all types of bank customer in the independent research carried out for the BBA and CCBS published in January 2000.

Notes for Editors
1. The big four banking groups alone have closed over 4000 branches since 1990.
2. CCBS is a pressure group acting for 27 national organizations concerned about bank branch closures.
3. The 'Banking Without Branches' Research by Bristol University's Personal Finance Research Centre was overseen by the BBA and CCBS and published in January 2000.
4. CCBS' proposals for shared branches - Community Banks plc - was validated in March 2001 by Professor Barry Howcroft of Loughborough University's Banking Centre and found to be operationally and financially feasible.
5. Pilot communities selection is crucial and needs to include features such as urban/rural; distance/time/difficulty in accessing alternative banking; business and socio-economic profile; existing local market share; communities where all banks have closed as well as where one remains open; neutral operation as opposed to agency use of an existing branded bank.

CONTACT: DEREK FRENCH   DIRECTOR   01582 764760