A PARISH council chairman in Avening, also a former worker at Lloyds bank, has called for bosses to reconsider the closure of a bank in Nailsworth.

Avening village is situated three miles from Nailsworth and the parish council have said that the closure of the Lloyds branch on March 29 would represent a loss to residents in the area.

Residents in Avening, a village near Tetbury, would be forced to travel to banks in larger towns with limited and inconvenient parking facilities.

Tony Slater, chairman at Avening Parish Council, wrote to the bank saying: "Avening is a small village 3 miles from Nailsworth, and like other local villages hosts many small businesses.

"While many of their transactions can be carried out online, they need convenient branch banking to manage cash and associated deposits.

"From Avening, it will be a round trip of at least an hour to Stroud, and that assumes a space is available in the nearest car park!

"While understanding that overheads have to be controlled within budgets, the feeling is that you are giving the loyal customers of Nailsworth and the immediate area a major disservice closing this branch."

A Lloyds Bank spokesperson said: “This branch has been identified for closure because of the changing way customers choose to bank with us, which has resulted in customers using it less often.

“We apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause and have informed customers of the closest alternative branches.

“Seventy-two per cent of our personal customers in Nailsworth use other branches and other ways to bank such as online and telephone banking.

“91 per cent of our personal customers already use other branches, such as Rowcroft Stroud branch.

“The volume of customer transactions at the Nailsworth branch reduced last year by 10 per cent and the branch has only 45 regular weekly personal and business customers."