When the last bank leaves town: rural communities must adapt to the rise of online banking and the loss of local branches

Last week I walked down a street in London and counted five banks that were open. Five. On one street. Yes, that included Coutts, but there were a further four high street banks within a three minute walk. Not something we are used to in North Dorset.
When Lloyds Bank announced 136 branches were closing across the country later this year, the list included Blandford Forum and Dorchester. By the end of 2025, of the five towns in North Dorset, only one will have a Lloyds. Two of the towns have no bank at all (apart from part time “banking hubs”).
What does this mean?
Between 2015 and 2024, more than 6,000 bank branches have closed across the United Kingdom. Barclays led the way with 1,226 closures, while NatWest currently stands at 900 closed branches. There are no Barclays branches in North Dorset: the nearest ones are located in Dorchester and Yeovil. Shaftesbury has a NatWest, while Gillingham will be home to the only Lloyds Bank in North Dorset by the end of 2025.
There’s no doubt that online banking and apps are on the rise, with more of us using them for all our banking tasks. It’s not just young people either – older people are also adapting to online banking. However, what happens to people who are unable to manage the technology, or who simply don’t want to use them but don’t have transport to get to one of the towns with a bank? Simon Hoare, MP for North Dorset said:
‘We’re at that transition stage, where banking apps are now more popular. Bank usage, and particularly the footfall – which is what banks measure to assess whether to close premises – is falling. The cost of running a bank building, with increased insurance, lighting and other overheads has also disproportionally increased. Of course, a lot of older people like to do their banking in person.’
Another reason for needing to visit a physical bank is to deal with a complex issue that is beyond the capability of an online chatbot or a telesales employee – for example, having to sign documents in person with a witness present, or dealing with a death. That’s when you need a human being with a bit of empathy instead of an automated response.

And then it goes wrong
Having online banking readily available at the touch of an app is winning due to its sheer speed and convenience for most people. Until the system fails … the recent Barclays three-day outage happened on the January payday weekend – also the deadline for self-assessment tax payments – and thousands of people were unable to access money or pay bills, leading some people even unable to buy food. The failure raised signifiant issues about the risks inherent in a cashless society and being over-reliant on electronic banking systems. Should we all have a bit of cash stashed under the mattress, just for an emergency?
There are also businesses that won’t accept cards and as many that won’t accept cash. Even more no longer accept cheques, instead demanding an online transfer – which can be awkward for those reliant on a chequebook, especially once work is completed.
There are other issues with bank closures, as Simon pointed out:

‘When banks close in market towns, local business is disproportionally affected. When people come into a town to bank, they often do other things such as visit a couple of shops – and that impacts wider footfall.
Rural market towns are under pressure and shop businesses are increasingly fragile. Meanwhile, Dorset has a disproportionately older population.
That’s not to say bank closures are limited to market towns – I can count three within minutes of the Houses of Parliament that have shut. However, the impact is felt most acutely in market towns because of their smaller size.
‘Given the strategic position of Blandford with the surrounding villages and those who depend on it, there’s a question about whether a hub would be a viable option for Blandford.’
A banking hub is a part-time facility which can be used by customers of any bank. It’s something Blandford councillors have been looking at and Simon Hoare is questioning. Hubs come to towns when the last bank standing has closed.

So, how many people could be affected by the loss of a bank in a town? In 2023, Age UK surveyed the banking needs of older people* and found that four in ten adults over 65 (equating to 4.09 million people) did not use online banking, and three-quarters of over-65s want to bank in person. Age UK also found that the groups least comfortable using online banking and who wanted physical facilities were the over-80s, people with disabilities and people on a low income … in other words, some of the most vulnerable people in our community. When facilities are removed, it also takes away the independence of these people to manage their own finances.
One of the reasons people give for wanting a physical facility for banking is a fear of being scammed, which is an increasing menace. Age UK recommend that the number of banking hubs is increased, and, critically, are put in place before a bank closes down. Also that banks do more to support the vulnerable. That’s exactly what is happening in Sherborne: according to Sherborne Town Council, the planned banking hub has not opened, as premises are still being finalised. As a result, Lloyds Bank is staying open until the hub is in place.
Finally, the loss of another bank is a sobering reminder to use facilities that are available to us – or lose them.

Age UK’s You Can’t Bank On It Anymore survey

From closed roads to poonamis, we know North Dorset’s flooding is getting worse – Rachael Rowe asks what’s causing it (apart from more rain)

The last weekend in January was a storm to remember, as winds and torrential rain reached North Dorset. Rain described as “biblical” in nature streamed down on the Blackmore Vale, with many places rapidly flooding. For a while, roads across Somerset and Dorset were closed, with cars stranded in floodwater.
North Dorset has well-known local flood spots – most people will avoid Hammoon and Caundle Marsh in very heavy rain, for example. However, what surprised many people were new areas with significant floodwater. How often does the A303 flood, for example?
The A357 between Shillingstone and Sturminster Newton was closed while investigations took place into the flooding. The amount of water caught people out, stranded several cars. A Dorset Council spokesperson responded: ‘There are no specific known issues with our drainage here: it is likely to just be volume of rain falling in a short period of time that is overwhelming them. We operate a cyclical gully cleansing regime to clean the gullies all around the Dorset Council area and gullies are also checked during routine highways inspections. Unfortunately, some weather events mean that the gullies cannot handle the amount of rain that falls in such a short period.’
Blandford farmer (and BV columnist) George Hosford had some insights into the flooding. His ‘early flood warning system‘ – his 92-year-old father John – generally looks out of the window and tells him when cattle should be moved away from the Stour. George also measures rainfall on the farm and used to see an average of 1,050 ml a year: ‘The last three years we’re seeing an average rainfall of 1,400ml which is a significant increase. It’s down to climate change. Since September last year the Stour has been out five times. It used to be just twice a year. The problem is always a large amount of rain in a short space of time.’
Run-off from fields is another issue. ‘There’s a lot of maize being grown to feed cows and anaerobic digesters. While it’s good for producing carbohydrate, it has a very long growing season. As a result of using the heavy machinery, the soil can get damaged, causing an increased run off of water. With maize crops, some farmers plough up and down, whereas if they ploughed across a field it would slow down the run off. Some fields are also left with maize stubble in winter: with no other vegetation, there’s nothing to slow the run-off.’

The brown stuff
One very unpleasant aspect of the storm was the sewage outfall. SewageMap.co.uk is an online mapping tool that shows, in real-time, which river sections are downstream of sewage discharges from storm overflows. After Storm Herminia, parts of the Blackmore Vale map appeared to have been hit with a giant poonami. It’s a very interesting website – just don’t browse while you are eating.
It wasn’t just the fields drowning in sewage. Some unlucky residents with surprise bathroom floods – thanks to those overworked drains – discovered that their neighbours have been flushing wet wipes (seriously, please don’t do that).

Busy emergency services
Naturally, the emergency services were busy dealing with the adverse weather. The Environment Agency had an incredibly demanding weekend, working to protect lives and properties in Somerset.
The impact was also widely felt in Dorset, where the southern communities faced a heightened risk of coastal flooding. A spokesperson said: ‘We have warned nearly 17,000 people and 9,000 properties in the past three days (Sunday 27th to Wednesday 29th) and supported local authorities and fire services with evacuating people at Somerton and Ilford.’
A spokesperson from Dorset Council said: ‘We responded to 14 call-outs: 12 for flooding and two for fallen trees.
‘We made three road closures, all due to the amount of heavy rainfall in a short period. These were the A350 Beacon Hill, Wheatsheaf Hill – the county boundary between Sherborne and Corton Denham – and at Knoll Lane, Corfe Mullen. We also monitored the Portland Road beach road for two consecutive nights, in case the sea came over the beach on to the road. Spring high tides and the wind direction increased the likelihood of the waves overtopping the road, but this did not happen.’
Dorset Fire and Rescue were also busy, on shouts and advising people not to drive through floodwater. ‘Over those two days, we received 20 weather-related calls, three of which were in North Dorset. We attended four of those 20 calls, which were all to assist drivers who had tried to drive through flood water.
‘The biggest challenge we always face is getting the public to follow our advice of not trying to drive through flood water. Our advice for driving in adverse conditions can be found on our website – dwfire.org.uk.

Reducing flood risk
With increased adverse weather and higher rainfall, what can be done to reduce the risk of flooding? George Hosford had a couple of suggestions:
‘There should be no building at all on flood plains … no car parks, no buildings and no roads. The Upper Stour is not a naturally flowing river any more. It has been deformed by dredging and building mills and weirs. If farmers in the upper catchment, where the tributaries flow, were given incentives to allow fields to flood for a period, less water would come downstream all the way into Christchurch.’
The Environment Agency noted that with climate change, flooding will be more frequent. It encourages people to sign up for flood warnings. However, with that increased frequency comes the need for more creative solutions to protect the North Dorset infrastructure.

Edward Scott has survived a drone attack while delivering humanitarian aid in Ukraine, where he has been volunteering since October 2022.

Sometimes, the war in Ukraine feels distant, despite frequent news reports and its proximity to Europe. However, the devastating news that 28-year-old Edward “Eddy” Scott from Stour Row, near Shaftesbury, had been seriously injured in a drone attack has brought the war much closer to home.

The Drone Attack

On 30 January 2025, Eddy was driving a clearly marked, armoured humanitarian vehicle as part of an evacuation mission in Pokrovsk. The vehicle, operated by Base UA, was hit by a Russian First Person View (FPV) drone carrying a cumulative charge. The drone struck the top rear left side of the vehicle while it was navigating a damaged section of the road at low speed.

Eddy sustained severe injuries, rendering him unable to continue driving. His team leader, Pylyp Rozdestvennkyi, acted swiftly, applying tourniquets to Eddy’s left limbs to control the bleeding. Suffering minor shrapnel wounds himself, Pylyp checked the two evacuee passengers, confirming that one was unharmed while the other had a minor shrapnel wound.

With no time to lose, Pylyp flagged down a passing military vehicle and secured urgent assistance. Pylyp carried Edward into the military vehicle, and the unharmed evacuee stayed with him. Pylyp followed the military vehicle in the damaged Fiat Ducato as they made their way toward Hryshyne, where a casualty transfer point was located.

Upon arrival, medical personnel were standing by. Despite his injuries, Eddy remained conscious – he was immediately assessed, moved to an ambulance and transported to a larger medical facility for emergency surgery.

Doctors at the hospital made every effort to preserve Edward’s limbs, but due to the severity of his injuries, he was taken into surgery for amputation. His left leg was amputated above the knee, and his left arm underwent a high amputation, preserving approximately 10 cm below the shoulder. Following surgery, he was transferred to an ICU ambulance operated by MOAS and transported to a hospital in Dnipro – Pylyp followed in a separate vehicle right behind. 

Humanitarian Work in Ukraine

Eddy, a British sailor from Shaftesbury, attended Sherborne School. He has been actively involved in humanitarian efforts in Ukraine since October 2022. Initially considering joining the military, he was instead encouraged to work in aid relief. He first set up Dorset to Donetsk, using a truck to deliver humanitarian supplies, and later joined Base UA, a Ukrainian NGO for humanitarian aid and cultural work founded by activists and journalists. His work focused on evacuating civilians from frontline areas and rebuilding damaged homes.

In the three weeks leading up to the attack, Base UA had been working in coordination with Vodafone and East SOS to refuel generators powering the only two mobile network towers in Pokrovsk, ensuring residents could contact evacuation hotlines.

Increasing Drone Threats

Kamikaze drones, also known as loitering munitions, are aerial weapons equipped with warheads that crash into their targets. Russia first used drones on military targets in September 2022, but since then, they have increasingly been deployed against civilian infrastructure. The attack on Eddy and his team marks the second time in two months that Base UA vehicles have been directly targeted by Russian drones.

Drones such as FPVs are manually controlled, allowing the operator to visually confirm and select a target before initiating an attack. Targeting clearly marked civilian vehicles and humanitarian workers violates the Geneva Convention and constitutes a war crime.

Recovery and Support

Images of Eddy in hospital have gone viral, with an outpouring of support from the global community. Despite his life-altering injuries, Eddy remains in stable condition, high spirits and is determined to continue supporting Ukraine in any way possible. Base UA described Eddy as a dedicated humanitarian who has risked his life countless times to help others: ‘Eddy’s story highlights the increasing dangers faced by aid workers and civilians in Ukraine, particularly from drone attacks, as they strive to assist civilians amidst ongoing conflict as well as the often overlooked and numerous war crimes by Russian forces daily.’

Eddy has chosen to remain in Ukraine for his treatment, receiving assistance from The Weatherman Foundation. A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to aid in his rehabilitation and recovery. At the time of writing, more than £104,495 has been raised to support his long-term care.

If you would like to contribute to Eddy’s Recovery GoFundMe, you can find it here https://bit.ly/EddysRecovery

By Rachael Rowe and Laura Hitchcock