Residents of a tiny English town just moments from the seaside are fighting for their identity as their town is swallowed up by new commuter homes with “no infrastructure to support it.”

For years, Banks, Lancashire, has maintained its reputation as a home to a large rural farming community.

Recently, however, a rapid influx of new housing developments has raised concerns about the blurring of the settlement’s borders – prompting locals to defend their identity.

Due to its proximity to Southport some addresses are listed as “Banks, Southport”, but many of the new-build properties arinstead advertised as being part of Merseyside.

The majority of residents in Banks has rejected this idea, insisting that they proudly identify as Lancastrians.

For long-time residents, the transformation of Banks into a commuter village has been noticeable, leading to an evident separation between the new housing developments and the older homes. 

David Yardley, a church warden at The Parish Church of St. Stephen and resident of the area for over 60 years, expressed concerns about the significant increase in housing without infrastructure development. 

He said: “It’s a lot bigger now, there’s a lot more houses. There’s more houses and a bigger community. It’s not done us any favours, we’ve not got any more shops. The only businesses in this village are hair salons.”

Coffee morning volunteer Sheila Johnson, 83, strongly emphasized the village’s Lancashire roots and rejected any association with Merseyside.

“We didn’t ask to be Merseyside. Most of Southport, they moan because they want to be in Lancashire but they still get their bus passes. We don’t,” fellow volunteer Elizabeth Lee  said.

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The weekly coffee morning not only serves as a gathering place for the community but also acts as a vital source of funding for the church. 

The importance of self-sustainability was underscored by the closure of Banks Methodist Church in 2021. The closure decision was influenced by the declining attendance at the church, a trend also affecting other places of worship due to changing demographics.

The village has some interesting historical quirks, such as Ralph’s Wife’s Lane, a road said to be named after a sailor’s wife who mourned her husband’s absence after his sea voyages.

Despite the changes in Banks over the years, the village’s residents take pride in their Lancashire heritage and continue to cherish the unique character of their coastal home.

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