THE North East’s biggest building society is getting ready to move into its new home in Barnard Castle.
Newcastle Building Society announced in March that it was extending its commitment to the town where it has had a presence for 25 years, and would establish a full service and financial advice branch.
It chose a 1,200sq ft space in the Market Place which was previously a boutique fashion retailer but this has moved.
Work has now begun to transform the space into an office that offers access to services, information and advice, as well as to a private meeting area.
Tri Construction has been appointed to work on the project, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of the summer.
Six full and part-time customer service positions are being created.
In recent years, the society has delivered its services in Barnard Castle through a partnership with accountancy practice Allen Sykes Chartered Accountants. This will carry on until the Market Place branch opens in September.
Stuart Miller, customer director at Newcastle Building Society, said: “We’ve found an ideal, easily-accessible space right in the centre of Barnard Castle for our new branch and can’t wait to open our doors to local customers.
“While many other financial institutions are closing branches across the North East, including in Barnard Castle, we are convinced the high street has an important long-term role to play at the heart of our communities.
“Being physically present in our towns is part of our wider approach to exploring ways we can help those who may be struggling to access the financial services they need.
“By contributing to the vitality of successful, sustainable local communities, we believe we can develop a bright future, hand in hand with local people.”
The society has also announced it would launch two new community hub branches in Hawes, in North Yorkshire, and Wooler, in Northumberland.
