7/28/2019 The Argus 'Not your typical bank'
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theargus.co.uk/news Business The Argus, Tuesday, May 22, 2012
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DOG treats, balloons, lollies, anda jazz soundtrack are not
typicalfeatures of a high street bank.
But Metro Bank hopes to changethe face of banking in Brighton
byopening a branch in North Street.
The quirky bank has raised eye-brows in the financial world for
itscasino-style layout, dog-friendlyethos and slogan: No stupid
bankrules.
Thenew Brighton branch willcre-ate 25 full-time jobs with
salariesbetween 16,000 and 50,000 a year.
The retail bank has bought two
discount shops and an office in 80-82North Street for the new
premises.
A planning application made inApril 2012 to Brighton and Hove
CityCouncil to change the use of thebuildings for banking is
currentlybeing considered and a decision isexpected by June 18.
Pegasus, the planning groupresponsible for the project,
said:Despite the sites location withinthe centre of Brighton, the
shopunits have not maximised their fullpotential in recent
years.
Metro Bank will invest in theproperty to provide high
quality
retail space.Theproperty waspreviously occu-pied by Faith shoe
shop which wentinto administration in 2010.
It also housed American Expresstravel agency which left in 2007
and
has since had a succession of tempo-rary tenants.
Planners said short-term occu-pants have led to a deterioration
ofthe attractive building via a lack ofinvestment.
The buildings are poorly config-ured with low ceilings and
variousdifferent floor levels.
They want to create a space that
resembles a shop more than a bank,witha seven-dayservice
andopeninghours from 8am to 8pm. The onlydays it will be closed are
ChristmasDay and national holidays.
It will even offer free dog biscuitsto account holders as part
of itsDogs Rule policy.
Metro Bank chief executive CraigDonaldson promisesto
surpriseanddelight Brighton residents with thelocal branch.
Hesaid:Its hightimeforbankstoopen when it is convenient for
theircustomers not themselves.
People would be up in arms ifthey couldnt do their
supermarketshop after work,so why shouldbank-ing be any
different?
The Brighton and Hove BusinessForumwelcomedthe
newadditiontoBrightons high street.
Forum chairman Tony Mernaghsaid: This is most positive news
forthecitythe morecompetitionintro-duced into the local banking
sectorthe bet ter.
The bank will shortly be on the
lookout for local people interested inworking at the new
branch.It said: A range of high quality
jobs for people in different stages oftheir career will be
created.
We do not require applicants to
have direct experience of the bank-ing sector.A customer
services background,
for example in the retailing sector, ismore important than
specific knowl-edge of banking.
City set for a branch that will surprise and delight
Not your typical bankby KATE PALMER
[email protected]
OPENING SOON: MetroBanks has boughtpremises in North Street
