A district councillor is asking for help to find out how many residents and businesses regularly use Barclays in Leyburn.
The facility is due to shut on May 5, leaving Wensleydale without any bank branches following a run of closures in recent years.
Barclays claims the move is being taken as the branch only has 19 regular customers.
But this has been questioned by locals.
Richmondshire District councillor John Amsden is also unconvinced that it only has a small number of regulars.
“I was in there on Friday and asked about that. Someone behind me said ‘there are nine of us in here now and more coming’.”
He said the bank was very much needed by those living in such a rural area.
“There are elderly people who don’t use computers or the internet. They have to use public transport because they don’t drive.
“So they have got to bank locally especially as there is no bus connection to Northallerton after 3pm.
“The internet is very intermittent in parts of the dales which means residents can’t easily use internet banking and some businesses can’t take payments by card. A lot of people still pay in cash.
“There are the village halls and charities who need to pay in cash.”
He also pointed out there were more bank scams now and the scammers often target the elderly.
Cllr Amsden asked those who bank at the Barclays branch in Leyburn and use it regularly to tell him by emailing him at cllr.j.amsden@richmondshire.gov.uk
ARC News Service
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Please if this has an effect on you Please write to Barclays as the closure of this bank is going to hit everybody in the community. It is always a busy bank and Barclays is not on the bread line !!! The decision may be final but the more support and the more people air there grievances you just never know..
I often use the bank at least once a week
We regularly use Leyburn Barclays , always seems busy to me and my wife when we are there . Barclays are using any excuse they can to get everybody onto online banking despite the inability of many of the most vulnerable not being able to use the internet .
I am a regular user at Barclays Leyburn
Whenever I am in Leyburn the bank always seems busy. Don’t understand how Barclays arrive at 19 regular customers or why this is a deciding factor- surely the bank is National and accounts are held nationally?
In a place such as Leyburn I would have thought all footfall is valuable.
I’m part of a local fundraising group for a national charity; the money we raise is used locally. It seemed sense to bank locally where staff know the aims of the charity. Banking with Barclays in town has been a huge help & the sensible option. There are often fairly large amounts of cash to pay in, & trailing around North Yorkshire to do the banking is not a pleasant prospect. Our group can’t be the only one affected.
Other than charity/churches/small societies, there must be many individuals in the area who still rely on a bank building with trained staff who can sort out problems, etc. In rural areas internet access isn’t always reliable