Nationwide had applied to revamp its Grade II listed branch in Fakenham's market place, adding an external ATM and access ramp. 

The building society's plans had drawn strong backing from locals, who warned the town centre is in decline and currently only has one 24/7 accessible cash point. 

But North Norfolk District Council's planning officers recommended that the scheme be refused, arguing the works would "fail to preserve the historic environment", and in a knife-edge vote, councillors sided with their advice.

Locals say the town only has one accessible 24/7 cashpoint (Image: Newsquest)

Fakenham has lost every bank on its high street in recent years, with Barclays, HSBC, NatWest and Lloyds all leaving the town.

The remaining 24/7 ATM is found at Fakenham’s Tesco store on the outskirts of........

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