A new building society branch is set to open in Dereham next week, taking over a premises formerly occupied by the Norwich & Peterborough Building Society.

The new Nottingham Building Society branch will open on December 14 and will be the second of three new branches opened in Norfolk over a three week period.

The first will open in Thetford this week and the third will open in Fakenham shortly after the Dereham branch opens.

These will be the first branches operated by The Nottingham in Norfolk and they are among seven former Norwich & Peterborough Building Society branches to be taken across the UK, doubling The Nottingham's network in five years.

David Marlow, chief executive of the company, said he was delighted to open the new branches in Norfolk before Christmas.

'We are particularly pleased to have been able to maintain a high street branch presence for customers in Dereham and the surrounding areas. We know from our own members and from talking to customers in research that they truly value the face-to-face expert advice and service that branches provide,' he said.

'Branch closures are leading to more people finding it difficult to access face-to-face advice and service when it comes to dealing with key financial issues in their lives and this is particularly true in market towns, where much of our focus is placed.

'Our branches offer a unique range of services from savings products, whole of market advice on mortgages and financial and estate planning.

'Without exception, existing members and new customers have welcomed us to our new locations and we are confident of a similarly warm welcome in Dereham.

'We are delighted that three former staff members from the Norwich & Peterborough Building Society have chosen to join us at The Nottingham. We are all looking forward to welcoming familiar faces as well as new customers to the branch when we open.

'A series of official branch opening parties are being planned for the seven new locations throughout January and February and we look forward to welcoming new and existing customers to the Dereham event to help us celebrate.'