HSBC BANK is stepping up its support for businesses in York and North Yorkshire with the launch of four new commercial centres, each empowered to make individual lending decisions of up to £1million.

The centres' dedicated managers will spend three out of every five days on the road meeting customers at their own premises, to help them make more informed assessments of customer needs and the local business environment.

The new initiative represents the next step in HSBC's commitment to locating senior bankers locally and giving them the authority to make major lending decisions without referring to head office.

The centres of commercial expertise are at existing branches - in Parliament Street, York; in Prospect Crescent, Harrogate; in Market Place, Malton; and St Nicholas Street, Scarborough - and are among 214 being opened around the UK.

All were created following research that shows local relationship management is just as important to business customers in the region as the ability to lend quickly, appropriately and efficiently.

HSBC plans to increase the number of dedicated UK local business bankers by 11 per cent to 1,280 as part of a five-year £1.4 billion investment in customer service initiatives.

The centres' senior managers will typically spend at least four years in the role in order to build long-term relationships with clients.

The four centres in York, Harrogate, Malton and Scarborough are headed up by Phil Look, area commercial manager, who will be based at York.

Each of his 25 commercial relationship managers is empowered to make individual lending decisions of at least £50,000.

In addition each centre has a senior manager with authority to make £1million loans. In all, nine out of ten lending decisions will be made locally.

Mr Look said: "We are the only major bank to commit to retaining senior management with local knowledge in branches and centres across the UK, for business as well as personal customers."

He added: "By creating these centres of excellence and by relieving managers of other responsibilities, we are giving our business customers even more time, more experience and a more dedicated service.

"By investing even more time talking to our customers and visiting their premises around Harrogate, Malton, York and Scarborough - whether office, factory or shop - we can better understand their business and their ambitions.

This will allow us to offer these businesses the best local service possible, giving them the flexible financial support and services they need, when and where they need it."

Updated: 11:31 Wednesday, October 06, 2004