There is anger and dismay in Ripon this week, following the announcement by Barclays that it will close its city branch in August.
Barclays has been present on Market Square East for generations and there has been a bank under various names at this prime location since 1785.
The anger is further fuelled by a Barclays report outlining the reasons for closure, which revealed that counter transactions went up in the two years to March 2020.
This week and last the Stray Ferret has been gauging reaction to the planned closure and among those to speak with us was 81-year-old Richard Tite, who has been a regular user of the bank’s counter services for 42 years. He told us:
“When they made their corporate decision to close Ripon and a number of other branches, Barclays showed that they just don’t care about people of my age, who don’t know how to use online banking and rely on the personal service.
“Having a human being that you can speak with and have your questions answered, is very reassuring and I must say that the staff here in Ripon are very good.
“I have no complaint about them, it’s the people above them that show that they simply look on people like me, who have been customers for more than 40 years, as if we don’t count.”
The decision to close Barclays’ long-established Ripon branch has brought an angry reaction.
Another customer, who asked not to be named, said:
“This is an absolute disgrace, I have been banking with Barclays for years, but I won’t be for much longer.
“I’m going to close all the accounts I have with them and put my money elsewhere.”
There was a similar response from another person, who also wished to remain anonymous. They said:
“I read in the Stray Ferret that the decision to close has been taken in spite of the fact the the Ripon branch has an increasing number of customers and that just doesn’t make any sense to me.
“Barclays sent me a round robin letter saying there are other branches, such as in Harrogate, that I can use, but that is not a proper option, because, on top of the inconvenience, there is the increased costs of fuel if you drive over, then you have to pay through the nose to park, simply to get your hands on your own cash.
“The sooner I can transfer my money elsewhere, the better.”
Banking choices in Ripon
Banking choices in Ripon are limited. Besides Barclays, there is HSBC, the Halifax, The Yorkshire and Skipton building societies.
Banking services are also available at the Post Office in The Arcade.
The cash machine currently at Barclays will no longer be available after August 25, meaning that people wanting to make a withdrawal in the city centre will have to go to HSBC, the Halifax or Sainsbury’s.
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After closing time at HSBC and Sainsbury’s, the only accessible bank machine in the city centre will be at the Halifax.
A report produced by Barclays to explain the rationale behind its closure decision, showed that more than 3,000 customers visited regularly for personal or business banking purposes in the last year.
But the bank added that only 121 customers use the branch exclusively for banking. Eighty percent of customers also use online and telephone banking.
The report says 41% of Ripon customers also use nearby branches, such as Harrogate and Thirsk.
