Vernon Building Society completes £150,000 refurbishment of Poynton branch

Vernon Building Society has completed the refurbishment of its Poynton branch, the last remaining bank or building society branch still open in the town.

The £150,000 refurbishment of the Stockport mutual’s branch on Park Lane, Poynton, is a further demonstration of the building society’s commitment to the high street, and comes alongside the announcement that the Vernon plans to have a presence in all Greater Manchester boroughs within the next five years.

This commitment to the high street comes in stark contrast to decisions of other banks to close branches. Data by Which? reveals around 6,000 branches have closed across the UK since 2015, with a further 645 earmarked for closure this year. In the North West specifically, 378 banks and building society branches out of 695 have closed, which is over half (54 per cent).

The Vernon in Poynton has been given a contemporary interior with a modern looking but traditional counter service, open plan booths for Members to receive face to face support, two interview rooms for customer privacy and a customer seating area.  Part of a £1.2m investment programme to improve its six-branch network, Vernon’s Poynton branch is the fifth to have been completed.

As with its other recent branch refurbishments in Reddish, Hazel Grove, Bramhall and its St Petersgate HQ in Stockport, the Vernon appointed local suppliers. The Poynton branch was designed by Standing Space, and work has been carried out by local contractors Monks Morton Design Interiors, Flexible Office and Sharp.

The Vernon hopes that renovations will start on its final branch, on Hollins Lane in Marple, by the end of the year or the start of 2025.

Steve Fletcher, CEO at Vernon Building Society said:

“As the only remaining high street branch in Poynton it was especially important for us to be able to offer face-to-face banking services in a great environment. Whether Members want to deposit a cheque, receive mortgage advice or discuss their online banking, we have a friendly team offering an expert service and now in new modernised premises.

“We’ve been in Poynton since 1971 and in the current building for 13 years so we’ve got to know people in the town really well, through them coming into the branch and through our sponsorship and funding initiatives. Poynton is a town close to our hearts and we’re proud to be serving it.

“As a building society that serves the whole of Greater Manchester as well as Cheshire, we have plans to be physically available to even more Members by opening up in every Greater Manchester borough over the next five years, most likely via community collaborations and hubs.”

The Vernon Building Society ties with Poynton run deep. It has a long-standing sponsorship with the Poynton Brass Band dating back over 35 years, which ensures the band continues to delight audiences throughout the UK. It has also provided funding for dementia group, Poynton Golden Memories, and Poynton Pedals for All, who provide inclusive and accessible cycling facilities.