Newcastle Building Society has revealed details of its plan to transform its branch in a County Durham market town.

Two years ago, the Society moved into its Newgate Street premises in Bishop Auckland town centre after the Virgin Money branch there closed, and is now planning a major investment that will deliver an open-plan environment to provide customers with improved access to services, information, advice and private meeting spaces.

A dedicated community room will also be created and made available, free of charge, for local people and community groups to use for events and activities.

To allow for the required work to be carried out, the Bishop Auckland branch will temporarily close to customers for eight weeks at 1pm on Friday 15 October, with customers retaining access to services through nearby branches, as well as over the phone and online.

Work on converting the 1,600 sq ft space will then begin straight away, with the doors scheduled to reopen to customers in mid-December.

Stuart Miller, chief customer officer of Newcastle Building Society, said: “Making a significant investment in Bishop Auckland is part of a wider commitment to maintain and protect financial services in our region. After an unavoidable delay caused by the pandemic, we’re extremely pleased to get on with the refurbishment."

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