Bank closure causes concern

Concerns for the commercial future of Tadcaster have been voiced after a major high street bank announced it is to close its doors in Tadcaster.

Barclays Bank will shut in April, following the closure of NatWest in the town last month, and customers are being advised to travel to Wetherby for over the counter services.

“I am totally appalled. When Barclays goes that will only leave the Halifax,” said Tadcaster Town and Selby District Councillor Richard Sweeting.

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“It is sad that we are going to lose another facility in the town.”

“The town has already suffered a decline in footfall with the closure of Natwest before Christmas. People are going elsewhere.”

He added: “I think Barclays are partly to blame because they were not providing adequate services in the Tadcaster Branch. There were quite a few services that customers had to travel to Wetherby for.”

Barclays said that the three part-time staff would be employed elsewhere within the company and some of its services would be available at the post office in Tadcaster.

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But Calcaria Stoves owner Michael Appleyard warned: “Barclays Tadcaster branch closing down is going to impact local businesses, as well as the local community who travel to use it, in a negative way.

“It seems to be a trend throughout the UK that most towns are losing their banks.

“I get a lot of customers who tell me about the struggle this is going to cause many of them, as they either don’t drive or are pensioners and have used the local banks for a very long time.

“It really does leave a negative feeling with the local people that the big banks just aren’t bothered about supporting the local towns any more.”

He added: “And it really does seem ludicrous considering the whole bank got a major refit just after the floods which I can imagine wouldn’t have been cheap.”

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