WELLINGTON’S banking hub an extra six months to stay at its current location in the town centre.

It was back in March that the hub opened at 30 Fore Street by Cash Access UK until a permanent base was established.

The banking hub was introduced to provide residents and businesses with basic banking and cash services following the closure of Lloyds, the town’s last remaining bank.

Wellington Town Council supported the hub opening in its former community office in Fore Street with a renewed lease ending at the end of October before moving into permanent facilities at the former Barclays Bank premises just a few doors down the road.

The town council has bought 30 Fore Street from Somerset Council and it is keen to move in and utilise the extra space – but has been snookered because of the banking hub using it.

And now, to add to the frustration, Cash Access UK has asked for a further six months lease on the building.

Town clerk Dave Farrow, speaking at the town council meeting on Monday (September 2), said: “We want to get into that building as soon as we can so we can start to sort out a reception area, but now they’ve asked to use it for an extra six months.”

Mr Farrow said that potentially-dangerous asbestos had been found in the old Barclays building and needed to be removed before Cash Access UK could move in, but that involves extra work.

“That is the reason they’ve asked for an extra six months,” explained Mr Farrow. “They are still hoping that they can move into their new home by the end of the calendar year, but they need a little bit of flexibility.”

Cllr Andrew Govier said that allowing the six-month extension was a “no brainer” for the council to agree on.

“Admittedly, it is inconvenient to us, but it’s a no-brainer,” he said. “The banking hub is a real asset to the town and I think we should grant them the six months.”

But Cllr John Thorne had other ideas on the subject. “I’ve got strong reservations about how the banking hub is working,” he said. “It doesn’t really fill me with confidence that it’s going to be a success in the long term.

“Giving them an extra six months will take them through to May next year – I don’t think we can give them that length of time.”

Cllr Thorne added: “We should give them a rolling tenancy with a month’s notice. We bought that building and we want to use it.”

Cllr Ross Henley warned that being too strict with the banking hub could come back to haunt them further down the line.

“We might be asking them to leave and they have nowhere else to go,” he said. “It could blow up in our faces and we could end up with no banking hub.”

Cllr Mark Lithgow said it was “dangerous to put a line in the sand over this.”