New banking facilities could be opened in Leyburn, Catterick Garrison, Richmond and Northallerton as part of efforts to improve access to community services.
Richmond and Northallerton MP Rishi Sunak has revealed that Newcastle Building Society is assessing the four towns as possible locations for either standalone branches or partnership banking facilities.
The Conservative MP gave the update in a report to members of North Yorkshire Council’s Richmond (Yorks) area committee.
He said he had been in contact with Newcastle Building Society, which has been expanding its branch network and already operates a partnership model from the Upper Dales Community Office in Hawes.
Mr Sunak said he understood the society was now considering the four towns as potential locations for further facilities.
The development comes amid continuing concerns about access to banking and cash services following a series of branch closures in North Yorkshire’s market towns.
Mr Sunak said the building society was trialling the use of OneBanx, an open banking service which allows personal and business customers of most UK banks to deposit and withdraw cash using a mobile application.
A pilot of the system is currently operating in Hexham and Mr Sunak said the service could potentially be used in all four North Yorkshire towns being assessed.
Funding towards improving banking provision could also potentially be available through the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority’s access to banking fund, according to the MP’s report.
The update follows the opening last month of a banking hub in temporary premises at Stokesley Methodist Church.
The update was welcomed by councillors sitting on the committee.
Hipswell and Colburn councillor Kevin Foster suggested the new Community and Enterprise Building being built in Catterick Garrison would be an ideal venue for a building society branch.
Upper Dales councillor Yvonne Peacock said that having Newcastle Building Society in the town had made a great difference to people following the closure of its bank branches.
Mr Sunak has previously raised the Stokesley banking hub in Parliament, saying access to cash and face-to-face banking remained important for market towns, particularly for small businesses and older residents.
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Thank goodness someone at last understands the loss of banks in the rural area’s it’s was disgusting especially from the big 4 come on Newcastle bank we will change to you