NEWS that Grassington’s branch of Barclays Bank is going to close has prompted district councillor Richard Foster and Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith to write to the head of the company.

The branch is due to close its doors on May 24 after footfall fell and the number of people using online and telephone banking rose. Another is closing in nearby Pateley Bridge.

Mr Smith said: “I am concerned about the number of recent bank branch closures across the constituency and will be writing to Barclays about the devastating impact of the loss of such a vital service. Access to banking services is particularly important in rural areas and I want to make sure that our high streets and local businesses thrive. I hope the decision can be reversed.”

Mr Foster said he too had written to the head of the bank, adding:”I understand that banking is moving to online but not everyone has access to online banking or prefer the more traditional methods.

“Whilst most businesses can accept cards in the local area the loss of the cash machine is also a worry If it does close I hope people do use the local facility that the post office offers to do their banking.”

A spokesman for Grassington Post Office said it provides day-to-day banking facilities for most high street banks as well as offers cash withdrawal services and is open six days a week.

There is also an ATM in Threshfield.

A spokesman for Barclays said: “The size and shape of our branch network is dependent on how and why our customers use them and is therefore subject to change.

“At the end of 2018, we had 1058 branches in our network – the largest branch network on the UK high street. Where we do take the difficult decision to close a branch, we work closely with the local community to understand their needs and whether there is an alternative solution we can provide.

“At Barclays in both Pateley Bridge and Grassington, customer usage has continued to decline and more than 70 per cent of our customers at both locations now regularly use online and telephone banking.

“The number of physical Barclays branches will reduce overall but our branch network and the colleagues who work in them remain a vital part of our offering. With customers visiting our branches less each year, we must constantly assess how and why our branches are used and make decisions based on that insight.”