Whitton Nationwide to close (From Kingston Guardian)

Whitton Nationwide to close

1:20pm Saturday 21st March 2009 in News

Whitton’s Nationwide will join the list of businesses to close its doors in the town centre.

The building society will shut its Whitton High Street branch on May 29.

The town has already lost several shops in the current slump.

Joyce Pearson of the Whitton Business Association said: “They told us the reason they’re closing the branch is because the type of business they want to do isn’t available in the area – mortgages and loans.

“I would have said the bank is at least as busy as Barclays as you regularly have to queue for 10 minutes. We won’t have the hole in the wall, which will put more pressure on Barclays.”

She added: “We were very disappointed it’s going, particularly those of us who moved over when the Woolwich closed two years ago. It will leave a big hole in the high street.”

Nationwide blamed low sales and the proximity of its branches in Twickenham and Hounslow.

Twickenham MP Vincent Cable said: “This closure is not good news and is occurring at a bad time. It is unfortunate the Nationwide, which is a mutual building society and not one of the failed banks, is pulling the plug.

"I don’t think any jobs are being lost, staff are being transferred elsewhere, but this closure is not helpful to maintaining confidence in Whitton’s shopping centre.”

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