Lewes MP says part of East Sussex could become ‘banking desert’ when last remaining branches close
Lewes MP James MacCleary has expressed concerns about part of East Sussex becoming a ‘banking desert’.
The Liberal Democrat MP for Lewes, Newhaven, Seaford and Polegate, recently highlighted three petitions on his Facebook page.
He said: “Newhaven has been without a high street bank for years. Seaford is about to lose its last remaining high street bank when Halifax closes its doors on the 19th of January 2026. Lewes is also about to lose its last remaining full service high street bank when Lloyds closes on the same day as Seaford.
“Overnight the area will become a banking desert.”
Mr MacCleary said that, alongside his Lib Dem colleagues, he is calling on LINK, the UK’s cash access and ATM network, to ‘urgently establish Banking Hubs in all of our towns’.
He said: “These hubs provide shared services from major banks and the Post Office, ensuring continued access to cash, face-to-face banking, and financial support for everyone in our communities.”
The petitions for the hubs can be found at www.leweslibdems.org.uk/newhavenbanking, www.leweslibdems.org.uk/seafordbanking and www.leweslibdems.org.uk/lewesbanking.
Mr MacCleary said: “Your support really helps so please share these petitions if you want to protect banking services in our local area.”
A LINK spokesperson told the Sussex Express: “More and more people are choosing new ways to pay, but millions of people still rely on cash. That’s why, whenever a bank branch closes, we assess what the local community needs to manage cash locally – including looking at local ATMs and post offices. We have carried out detailed assessments of cash access in Lewes, Seaford and Newhaven, and published the details on www.link.co.uk.”