The fight is on to save Cromer’s HSBC branch, after the banking giant announced it would shut on April 18 next year.
Pat West, the mayor, said the reaction of the town was one of “great disappointment” that the Church Street branch was one of 114 across the country that HSBC plans to close in 2023.
Mr West said: “The news broke for us only when it did for everybody else.
"We have moved forward with it as quickly as we can, to see if we can find some sort of action plan to save it from closing.
“Many people aren’t au fait with online banking so it’s going to be a struggle for them.
“It’s also taking away that human contact, which is especially important for the elderly in the town.”
Duncan Baker, North Norfolk MP, said he was meeting representatives from the bank next week to make the case for keeping the branch open.
But Mr Baker said if that failed, he would push for a HSBC-staffed desk to open for at least part of the week at another site in Cromer.
It follows Barclays opening a service desk at The Venue community centre in Holt two days a week, after announcing the closure of its High Street branch there.
Mr Baker said: “If we can’t [save the branch] we will try to do what we did in Holt, and ensure we have a physical footprint, so HSBC customers can still have their banking needs met in the centre of the town.
“We already have a number of buildings showing some interest as places where banking services could go.”
Jackie Uhi, HSBC's head of distribution, said the decision had “not been taken lightly”.
Ms Uhi said: “Over the past five years, usage of the bank’s branches by regular customers has fallen by 65pc, with the vast majority of closing branches seeing more than a 50pc reduction in footfall.
“Nine in 10 customers’ contact with the bank is now completed by telephone, internet, or smartphone, and 99pc of cash withdrawals are made at an ATM.”
HSBC is the largest UK bank and the seventh largest in the world. Its UK operation alone recorded a pre-tax profit of £3.9 billion last year.
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