The closure of the Barclays Bank branch in Polperro is now imminent, the doors set to close for the last time on Friday next, April 7, along with over 1,000 other small outlets nationwide.
But the villagers are campaigning for the bank's premises to be turned into a Community Bank, and have been letting their low opinion of Barclays be known in no uncertain terms.
They have been angered by the bank's latest advertising campaign in national papers "A Big World Needs A Big Bank", and a cutting has been anonymously stuck on the window of the local branch with some added words - "Barclays, the big bank for BIG profit because we're big we are only interested in BIG companies".
South East Cornwall MP Colin Breed has twice asked Barclays to treat Polperro as a special case and is urging that the branch remain open for six months, which he says will at least provide services over the summer season, when the village is packed with tourists. He says this will give him and the residents time to formulate proposals for a Community banking facility which it is hoped Barclays would be able to support. However, he is still awaiting their reply.
Mr Derek French, Director of the Campaign for Community Banking Services has been in contact with Graham Leslie, proprietor of the Restgarth Care Home and one of the Polperro campaigners, to add his support. He said a year long research study of bankless communities, after lobbying by his campaign, and sponsored by large banks, showed that businesses and individuals overwhelmingly favoured a shared branch known as a community bank, as a solution in preference to cash machines and post offices.
But he said that the banks wanted time to consider the report's findings before discussing it with the campaign, which has member organisations such as Help The Aged, SCOPE and the Federation of Small Businesses, and meanwhile Barclays were continuing to inflict damage on many more small communities such as Polperro.
Mr Leslie, a Barclays customer, says the effect on the village when the bank closes will be devastating. 'The infrastructurre of cash availability has been removed with Barclays showing no feeling for compromise and giving the impression of no future promise for a wonderful village which is universally well known and loved' he said. Another customer, Mark Squire of Joan The Wad gift shop opposite the bank, says the closure will have a knock on effect upon his business because of lack of cash available in the village.
Polperro has been further angered by Barclays who in a reply to Colin Breed's first correspondence with them said that local customers could obtain up to £50 cash back at supermarkets and Marks and Spencers stores, that they could obtain cash at over 25,000 cash machines across the UK free of charge from Barclays, that regular payments such as pensions and dividends can be sent directly to accounts by electronic means and that cheques can be posted for the credit of accounts.
Mr Breed has told the bank he is astonished at the complete lack of understanding of the branch concerned and has pointed out to them that he thinks their excuses are ridiculous.
'To suggest that by providing facilities for cash back in Marks and Spencer and supermarkets they can justify closing the last remaining bank branch in a small Cornish village betrays a complete ignorance of the nature of the place' he said. 'I hope that with continued campaigning we can show them that Polperro is a special case, deserving individual attention'.
Barclays have chosen Cornwall to introduce the first trial in the country, whereby their customers can gain access to cash at the local Post Office. However, this is for private account holders only and does not include business accounts, which traders in Polperro say will have a hugely detrimental effect on them.