Ripon has suffered its second banking blow in the space of nine weeks, with the announcement that the Halifax Bank branch will close on November 14.
The closure of the branch on Market Square South, comes after Barclays advised its customers in May that it is closing its branch on August 25.
Reacting to the closure announcement, Ripon City Council leader Andrew Williams, told the Stray Ferret:
“This is a bad news for Ripon, as we will be going from three high street banks to one, with the city left with just the HSBC branch.
“We are a growing city whose population is set to increase by up to a quarter by 2030 with new housing coming on stream.
“Among that increased population there will be many elderly people who either do not know how to use online banking, or are fearful of it.”
Closing on August 25 – Barclays Bank in Market Square East
Cllr Williams, added:
“With Christmas just four months away, the timing could not be worse for Ripon’s independent retailers, particularly due to the fact that after the Barclays and Halifax closures, residents and tourists visiting the city centre will not have access to cash machines outside normal trading hours.
“Not everybody wants to pay for a meal in a restaurant or a drink in a pub, with a plastic card.”
Figures produced by the Halifax as part of its explanation of the closure decision, shows that 22 percent of branch customers are 75 and above, while a further 37 percent are aged between 55 and 74.
The Halifax explains its decision
In its announcement, the bank, said:
“Following an in-depth review, this branch will close on 14th November 2022
“Like many other high street businesses, we’ve seen people using our branches less frequently in recent years as more customers choose to do most of their everyday banking online.
“We’re responding to the way our customers use our branches. We’ll continue to invest in our branch network, but we have to make sure our branches are where customers need and use them most.
“As a result, we’ve made the difficult decision to close this branch because customers are using it less often. In addition the majority of customers are also using alternative ways to bank.”
