Nigel Evans, MP for the Ribble Valley, has voiced his concern at the closure of Barclays bank in Whalley, which is earmarked for closure. Customers of the bank will now have to travel to Clitheroe, Blackburn or Accrington to access a full range of services.
Barclays have explained that the closure of the branch is due to customers’ changing banking habits, with many people now choosing to bank online or over the phone. It has also been confirmed that there will be no job losses through the closure, with staff being moved to nearby stores.
Speaking from Westminster Nigel Evans said:
“My constituency has lost a considerable amount of banks in the past 5 years, leaving many of my constituents without a local branch. The importance of local branches cannot be understated, many people rely on these for face-to-face interaction about their accounts or and other banking services.
“I have seen the statistics published by Barclays which show that there has been a considerable increase in counter transactions over the past two years - begging the question as to why this bank will be closed. With the new businesses coming to Whalley and several new housing developments in the area, I can only foresee a rise in footfall.”
Barclays have noted that the Post Office on King Street can meet most banking requirements, and have released data suggesting only 54 customers use the branch exclusively to conduct their banking. However, the data also shows that all personal banking and most business banking transactions have increased in since early 2016.
Mr Evans said:
“The sums just do not add up – Barclays need to be held accountable for the closure of such an important community amenity. I have contacted Barclays to arrange a meeting with their senior team in order to gain some clarity on the reasons behind the closure, and express the concerns of my constituents.”
The Whalley branch of Barclays is due to close on May 4th.