Mayor of Kenilworth Cllr James Kennedy cut the ribbon today (October 24) as Kenilworth's new banking hub officially opened.

Following a soft launch earlier this week, the new facility opened at its permanent location in Talisman Square this morning.

The hub had temporarily been housed at Kenilworth library since the spring, following the closure of Lloyds bank in the town centre.

The banking hub provides access to all the major banks (image by Nub News)

Run by Cash Access UK, the hub gives locals access to all the major banks all under one roof, with each bank having a community banker on site on a designated day each week.

Speaking at the opening, Cllr Kennedy said: "It is a brilliant service here for the community in Kenilworth.

"There was a lot of anxiety with people saying 'Lloyds has closed, what are we going to do?'

"Now we have a solution that is a shared solution for the community.

"I think it is important to remember, there is a lot of talk that not everybody can use digital banking and there are people who are unbanked or don't have access to it, actually I think it goes beyond that.

"All of us, even if we are the most tech savvy and digitally aware, there is nothing like being able to come in and talk to a human being."

Mayor of Kenilworth Cllr James Kennedy with Ian Lambert of Cash Access UK (image by Nub News)

The banking hub has opened at the former Kare Plus unit in Talisman Square, after months of work on site.

Cash Access UK now has 188 banking hubs across the country and has plans to reach 500 in the short term.

The site is run under the Post Office banner.

There is no ATM on site, as there are others across town, but it is "wired in" should the hub need to install one further down the line.

"We are delighted to open this banking hub today in Kenilworth, number 188," said Ian Lambert of Cash Access UK. 

"It is going to be a fantastic asset to the local community. 

"We are delighted to finally see it up and running."

The hub has opened in Talisman Square (image by Nub News)