Two former bank buildings on the same street are now on the market following their closure in May.
The town of Farnworth, home to 29,000 residents, was left without any bank branches after Lloyds and NatWest, both situated on Market Street, permanently shut their doors in May.
The two properties are currently listed for sale with a combined asking price of £610,000.
The NatWest branch shut on May 15, while the nearby Lloyds Bank closed permanently on Thursday, May 28. At the time, Farnworth and Kearsley First councillor Paul Sanders expressed concerns that the closures would disproportionately impact 'the elderly and those who do not use online banking'.
The Lloyds building is being marketed by MBRE for £350,000. The sales brochure reveals that the site already has existing planning permission for demolition and subsequent development into flats and two units.
It says: "Planning permission was granted for demolition and (the) erection of new three storey self-contained mixed-use building. This is an opportunity to enhance existing income through redevelopment or asset management of existing tenancy."
Currently, the building is let to Lloyds Bank Plc until March 2026, at an annual rent of £21,750. A planning statement for the Lloyds building, published by Bolton Council, said: "The ground floor retail units will have large, glazed shop fronts incorporating customer access facing onto Market Street.
"Fourteen flats in total are proposed, comprising seven one-bedroom and seven two-bedroom. Twelve of the fourteen flats will have balconies."
Further down Market Street, the former NatWest building is on the market through Barker Proudlove for £260,000. The property brochure describes it as a 'high street retail property with freehold and vacant possession'.
Local councillors in Farnworth have been advocating for a banking hub to be established in the town, similar to the recent development in Horwich, another Bolton town lacking a bank branch.
However, LINK, the financial service responsible for cash access, has determined that Farnworth does not meet their criteria for a banking hub due to the sufficient number of cash machines available locally.
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