A Leeds MP has expressed her disappointment that one of the city's Yorkshire Bank branches will close in the coming months.
Yorkshire Bank has announced that the Bramley branch on Town Street is one of six in the north of England that will shut later this year, citing a downward trend in footfall as a major factor.
The news will not only adversely impact customers, but also employees, with the bank confirming that a number of staff members are at risk of redundancy.
Rachel Reeves, the Labour MP for Leeds West, was quick to react to the announcement and tweeted to say: "Disappointed that Yorkshire Bank have confirmed the closure of their Bramley branch, and five other branches. This is a huge blow for Bramley.
"Time we had a People’s Bank that puts people before profits."
When will the Bramley branch close?
CYBG, the company that owns Yorkshire Bank, has confirmed to LeedsLive that the Bramley branch will close on Wednesday, August 14.
The next nearest branches are in Pudsey and Horsforth - both of which are more than two miles away.
Some staff members in Bramley may be offered alternative roles in nearby branches, although others could face redundancy this summer.
Bramley isn't the only branch to close. Five others - in Redcar, Skipton, Tamworth, Widnes and Sutton-in-Ashfield - will begin to shut from August onwards, when there will be 84 Yorkshire Banks still in operation.
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Fergus Murphy, group retail director at CYBG, said: "Announcing plans to close branches is never easy and it’s not a decision we take lightly. A number of factors are taken into consideration when reviewing our network, including branch usage, footfall and customer behaviour. Each branch is also assessed on an individual basis, carefully considering the impact on the local area, as well as alternative options.”
"As customers change the way they want to bank with us, we need to find the right balance for our network. However, we are clear that branches will continue to play a vital role in our business. Our recent ‘Bank to the Future’ report highlighted the importance of the human touch, with 81 per cent of consumers still wanting to speak to someone, or visit a branch, no matter how advanced technology gets, so our branches are critical.
"Rebalancing the network for the way customers bank today means we are continuing to invest significantly in the network. We have also been at the forefront of new technology to help improve the banking experience for customers, including the introduction of cheque imaging, continuous improvement of our mobile banking apps and the installation of smart ATMs."
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