‘Body blow’ for local businesses as third bank announces it will leave town

Market Weighton Town Town are campaign against the closure of the Barclays bank on High Street.
Pictured: Susan Sissons of Cocos Boutique, Peter Hemmerman, Deputy Mayor, Emma Humphrey of The Pet Shop, LJ Holt Town Team, Yvonne Cashin of The Paper Shop, Coun Nigel Botting of the Town Team, and Liz Doran, manager of Boots. — Market Weighton Town Town are campaign against the closure of the Barclays bank on High Street. Pictured: Susan Sissons of Cocos Boutique, Peter Hemmerman, Deputy Mayor, Emma Humphrey of The Pet Shop, LJ Holt Town Team, Yvonne Cashin of The Paper Shop, Coun Nigel Botting of the Town Team, and Liz Doran, manager of Boots.

BUSINESSES in an East Yorkshire town said they’ve been dealt a “body blow” after a third bank announced it would be leaving its high street.

Barclays wrote to business owners in Market Weighton this weekend, announcing it would close its branch in the town on December 12.

Newsagent Lionel Cashin, a member of the Town Team, said the closure would be particularly damaging to its thriving high street businesses, many of which are sole trader and would be forced to shut up shop to travel 7.5 miles to Pocklington to use the nearest branch.

He said: “Most businesses here are small, cash handling businesses. Just a year ago we had a Lloyds, a HSBC and a Barclays - the HSBC closed, the Lloyds turned into a TSB aimed at individual customers and now Barclays is going. It’s unbelievable.”

Many of his customers were “devastated” at the closure.

The Town Team, which was formed using £10,000 of Portas Pilot Government funding, has started a petition and are contacting MP Greg Knight to try to force a change in the decision.

A spokeswoman for Barclays said declining custom and a switch to the use of online, telephone and mobile banking had led to the “difficult decision” to close the branch. Everyday transactions could be make at a Post Office and staff will be given the chance to work at other branches, she added.