It follows a motion by DUP Alderman Mark Fielding , at a Leisure and Development Committee meeting on Tuesday, June 18, that the council lobbies the LINK Network to request a review and assessment of the “community needs for a banking hub in the town”. Alderman Fielding added: “I moved to Portstewart nearly 40 years ago and the community had three banks along the promenade, which it doesn’t have now, providing full banking services to residents, the surrounding population, and the business community. Advertisement Advertisement Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to NorthernIrelandWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.
“Each bank also for provided an ATM for convenient, 24-hour access to cash for residents and tourists alike, which was vital for the businesses in the town but in particular for the night-time economy, and what banks can do together nowadays is provide their services locally through a banking hub. “Portstewart has a resident population of just under 8 ,000, making it as the fourth largest town in the borough, but we also have substantial numbers of second home owners, a large student population, and a vibrant tourist and visitor sector. “In 2021, the banking industry collectively agreed that, following the closure of any bank branches, LINK, the UK’s cash access and ATM network, will seek to identify whether a community requires any further cash services,” Alderman Fielding continued.
“In addition to t.