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.”

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.

“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.