ILMINSTER Town Council said it will try to ensure that face-to-face banking continues after the news of the closure of the only remaining bank in the town.

Lloyd Bank said its Ilminster branch on Silver Street will close in August as “branch transactions fell more than 61 per cent between 2018 and 2023”.

A spokesperson for the council said: “Ilminster Town Council is highly disappointed to learn of the closure of the only remaining bank in Ilminster.

“The closure will cause a great deal of distress to members of the community who have come to rely on it for personal interaction that cannot be replicated by online banking.

“The council will be looking to see what measures it can take to try to ensure that face-to-face banking still continues in the town.

“It is very aware that the Post Office provides a valuable service to allow some banking functions to be carried out, but it is not a direct replacement for the High Street Bank.”

A document on the bank’s website read: “Most customers are now using our mobile app, internet banking, or calling us instead, which means they are using branches, including the Ilminster branch much less.

“This means we'll be closing the Ilminster branch.”

After the closure, the nearest alternative branches to Ilminster are the one in Chard, on 27 Fore Street, and the one in Taunton, on 31 Fore Street.

The nearest free-to-use ATM, however, is nearby (0.09 miles), and there are free-to-use ATMs within a mile and a half of the closing branch.