A regional building society has reopened one of its branches after a full refurbishment.

The Cumberland began work on its Brampton branch earlier this year, as part of a wider transformation scheme to bring banking into the 21st century.

Its counters have been replaced by 'service units', breaking down the barrier between teller and customer, while it is hoped a seating area, with coffee facilities will create a warm and inviting environment.

Claire Deekes, head of retail distribution at The Cumberland, said: “While the reopening of our Brampton branch signifies another step forward in our major branch investment programme, and the realisation of our Brighter Banking ethos, it is set to a challenging and unprecedented backdrop during the country’s Covid-19 lockdown.

“As an essential service, we are focused on maintaining the critical facilities our customers and communities rely upon, such as access to money and providing support for those customers facing difficulty as a result of the impact of the coronavirus.

"We’re doing this while protecting the health and wellbeing of our customers and our people. As such, while our new Brampton branch is now open, we encourage our customers to only visit for essential transactions, in line with government advice.

“When it is safe to do so, we look forward to welcoming our customers to their new Brampton branch and showcasing the new features that will ensure we continue to provide the best customer experiences.”

The investment programme will also see a state-of-the-art branch created at its English Street premises in Carlisle.