BANK officials at Barclays have vowed to retain a face-to-face presence in Barnard Castle after confirming the closure of the town’s branch on September 11.
Campaigners say they are dismayed by the announcement and are concerned the town will lose 24-hour access to a cash machine.
Members of a Banking Hub Working Party set up after the initial announcement that the branch would close before January 2025 say the decision to close the branch earlier makes it impossible for a hub to be set up in time.
The group, which is made up of county councillors Richard Bell and Ted Henderson, alongside town councillor Chris Foote-Wood, said: "We are utterly dismayed at Barclays’ decision to close at noon on September 11.
“This will leave the whole of Teesdale and other rural areas without personal banking services. It will also mean the loss of our only 24-hour ATM cash machine, causing inconvenience not only for locals but also for tourists who visit the dale in their tens of thousands throughout the year.
"Barclays and LINK, the organisation that recommends banking hubs, need to explain why they have approved no fewer than five banking hubs elsewhere in County Durham while refusing one for Barnard Castle.”
Concern over the lack of 24-hour access to cash was also highlighted by Barclays customer Peter Dixon.
He said: “Although I do most of my own banking on-line these days, I know several people who struggle with that and need the sort of support banking staff can give.
“A personal concern that I have is that the few ‘in shop’ cash machines in town are regularly unreliable and totally inaccessible outside shop hours.
“With the closure of the last bank in town it feels like our access to financial services is taking a serious backward step.
“To suddenly bring that forward six months, without any consultations, doubles the disappointment.”
A Barclays spokesperson said the bank would still have a presence in the town but as no contracts have been signed yet, could not confirm where it would be.
The spokesperson added: “As visits to branches continue to fall, with the majority of people preferring to bank online, we need to adapt to provide the best service for all our customers.
“This is reflected at Barnard Castle where we are delivering new ways to support our customers and the community with options for those who need in-person services.
“In Barnard Castle we plan to open a Barclays Local – a cashless banking site where customers can meet a colleague face-to-face for banking support, as they would in a branch and without the need to travel.
“We are currently working with the local community to identify a suitable location and will announce details once confirmed.”
