Campaign for Community Banking Services (CCBS) predicts there will be up to 800 unbranded bank branches in the UK by 2010. The CCBS is today discussing with the British Bankers Association (BBA) the case for pilots of an unbranded and cost-effective network of shared branches, developed and run by a neutral third party, such as APACS and outsourced to independent operators using LINK technology.
Hon Director of CCBS, Derek French, says:

“We believe that there are a great many branches deemed unprofitable and which are at risk of closure, this would leave substantial numbers of people and small businesses with no easy access to a bank. We recognise that banks are commercial organisations which must be profitable. For this reason we believe that unbranded shared banking, which would preserve access to banking services and which could also save the banking industry millions, is the only way forward for both consumers and banks.”

Unbranded shared branches have worked successfully in the US since 1992. In the UK, the viability of unbranded branches has been confirmed following research by Loughborough University Banking Centre* and has the endorsement of independent banking consultants.**

The proposal under discussion would see pilot schemes introduced in 2006 with the subsequent roll out of unbranded branches.

Contact
Derek French, Campaign for Community Banking Services
Tel: 01582 764760

Andrea Schlaepfer/Vaughan Andrewartha, Votive Communications
Tel: 07958 706694

1. Nearly 6000 bank branches have closed since 1990 leaving nearly 1000 communities bankless.
2. 1087 communities have only one bank ; 545 have only two remaining: CCBS research 2003.
3. CCBS is a coalition of 28 national organisations concerned about bank branch closures and community sustainability. Details can be found on: www.communitybanking.org.uk
4. A ‘shared banking’ pilot scheme carried out by 4 banks in 2002 had little relevance to the current proposal but its results included some positive indicators.