Plans to close Barclays' branch in Burnham High Street have been submitted to Maldon District Council, with the branch due to shut next month.

The Burnham branch is set to close on August 22, as Barclays says only 20 customers use the branch regularly as the only way to do their banking.

In application submitted to Maldon District Council, Barclays Bank Plc proposed the removal of existing external signage and the external ATM. The application is currently pending consideration with a deadline for the council's decision set for September 11.

However, Burnham Town Council has agreed to host Barclays' local banking services two days a week, to help residents.

Burnham Town Mayor Duncan Rawlinson said: "The Council wanted to find a way to mitigate the loss of the local Barclays branch.

"This felt like a good way of doing it, and the new system may well offer a more personal service. Not having to travel to Southend or Chelmsford for example, to open an account or get banking advice, will come as a relief to many customers.

"It helps that the Council offices are literally just across the road, Chapel Road, from the existing bank."

Full details are yet to emerge, but Barclays' services are expected to include one-to-one meetings with customers to assist them in non-cash transactions such as opening new accounts, bill payments, transfers, and insurance services.

Opening hours are expected to be 9am until 4pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, including a half-hour closure for lunch. There will be no parking facilities at the Town Council, although provision may be made for mobility scooters.

There will be no cash held on site, however Barclays is said to be in talks with Burnham's Post Office to offer local cash transactions.

Burnham Town Council has also contacted the Link organisation to see if another cashpoint can be installed in the area. There are currently four ATMs in the town.

Since Barclays closed its Maldon High Street branch in August last year, Maldon District Council has hosted a pop-up cashless banking site at its offices. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 10am until 4pm, customers can meet a Barclays colleague face-to-face for banking support.

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