Residents in Marlow are welcoming the transformation of ‘sad’ former banks into new independent retailers after the fall of in-person services left them in a ‘terrible state’.

High-end furniture and homeware shop the Cotswold Company revealed plans to makeover Marlow’s old Natwest bank last week, over a year after the site was vacated in a UK-wide series of closures by the financial group.

The news came less than a week after Australian leatherwear company R M Williams transformed the town’s former HSBC branch into an outback-inspired shopping space – and, in a sense, signals a nail in the coffin for Marlow’s in-person banking scene.

In another, however, it’s a testament to property investor and developer Sorbon Estates’ canny pick of the retail crop – with even those adamantly opposed to the so-called banking exodus of the last few years appeased by an interesting and markedly independent parade of new arrivals.

Colin McCulloch declared online banking to be “impersonal and overwhelming” after his town’s banking facilities was reduced to just building society Nationwide last year.

But even the retiree, who has become “resigned” to the “inconvenient and damaging” lack of banking options in the area, had to admit that he was glad the empty units were being filled with businesses that added something to Marlow High Street.

He added: “We have enough chain stores in Marlow – these buildings should be filled and used by small and independent retailers.

“Natwest, Barclays and Lloyds have been a sad sight for some time.”

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Andrew Wood, co-chair of the Marlow Society, took a similar view – praising Sorbon’s perceptiveness in recruiting “great” shops like R M Williams to diversify the town’s retail appeal.

He’s also keen to see how the Cotswold Company settles in – but warned of the dangers of booming retail reputation on the town’s already precarious parking infrastructure.

“The recent arrivals have already done their job in livening up the market square. R M Williams are even using a safe in the shop’s basement that was left there by HSBC to store their leather boots.

“I’m a Natwest customer, so I do regret the closure of that high street branch, but Sorbon are very careful about who and what they bring into the town and some of the old buildings look in a terrible state.

“The only real issue we foresee is that Marlow becoming a shopping destination means parking space is likely to become an increasingly pressing issue.”

Other indie businesses relatively new to the town include women’s clothing brand Sosandar, which replaced India Jane at 22 High Street in July and Burmese crafts company URU Home, which opened on West Street in August.

The old Barclays and Lloyds branches, at number 10 and 17 on the high street respectively, have not yet been filled – but keep your eyes peeled.