A Stoke-on-Trent MP has urged Lloyds Banking Group to reconsider the upcoming closure of a branch in Tunstall. 

In a letter to Lloyds Banking Group bosses, Stoke-on-Trent North MP, David Williams, argued the closure would impose excessive travel time and a financial burden on those who use the branch. 

Lloyds Banking Group announced in January that it would close the Tower Square branch in Tunstall used by "1,081 customers every month" along with 135 other branches across the UK. 

Williams wrote: "I am particularly concerned about the significant impact this will have on my constituents, many of whom already struggle with reduced access due to previous cuts to the branch's opening hours.

"For those working 9-5 jobs, this has already made in-person banking increasingly difficult."

In January it was announced that Tunstall will benefit from a new banking hub as part of LINK's commitment to protect access to cash.

An assessment is carried out whenever there is a change in how people access cash locally – such as a branch closure - to ensure people in the community have the correct access to services and cash locally. 

Part of that assessment includes looking at what impact the closure would have on people and businesses by measuring how long it would take to travel to another branch, how financially vulnerable the community is and how old residents are. 

Williams believes this part of the assessment conducted for the Tower Square branch is inaccurate.

Williams added: "Under Step 2 of the Cash to Access assessment, an urban bank should only close if an alternative cash service is available within a 15-minute journey at a cost of no more than £3.50 

"The stated 19 minute journey only accounts for the travel time between the Tunstall branch and the alternative location. It does not account for additional travel required for residents in outlying areas of my constituency, such as Chell. 

"A constituent travelling from Chell would face a journey of approximately 30 minutes, well above the recommended threshold."

The branch is set to shut on March 9, 2026.