Buckinghamshire Building Society branch to close

Staff at the site say that it is due to the lack of footfall in the St Peter office and deny that the business has been affected by the recession.
They say that many people choose to use the postal system for their transactions as opposed to coming into the branch itself, and that as such, they felt it was due to close the office, which has been in Chalfont St Peter since the late 1980s.
Chief Executive Ivan Gould said: "It is unfair that the vast majority of our members are subsidising the Chalfont St Peter branch. In the true interests of mutuality, it is important that all members can reap the benefits of any cost savings. When the branch closes we will immediately increase the savings rates on all variable rate products and our fixed rate customers will benefit in future issues."
Jill Carpenter of the society, denied that the recession had had an effect on the business, which was founded in 1907.
She said: "That is not the reason for our decision. The fact is that in the Chalfont St Peter office, it is quite often half an hour or an hour between people coming in to talk to us, and that is not enough to justify keeping it open. Although it has been in the village for a long time, it has never really taken off like the office in Chalfont St Giles, so we felt that if we were going to expand that office, the time was right to shut this one."
Full customer services will still be available at the head office in St Giles and staff say that they are currently looking into ways of reducing any inconvenience in having to travel to that office instead of to the one in St Peter.
All affected customers are set to be informed in the coming weeks by the society.
Mr Gould will also be available to talk to customers about the closure on Saturday, August 8 from 9.15am to 12pm at the Chalfont St Peter branch, and also on on Monday, August 10 at the same times at the St Giles branch.
Anyone wishing to express their views can call the society on 0800 653 6725, or email info@bucksbuildingsociety.co.uk.