A FORMER bank building going up for sale has led to criticism, with one councillor saying it is “back to square one” in the fight for appropriate facilities in the area.
The property, which used to house NatWest and is next door to a chemist and Asda store in New Line, Greengates, Bradford has been put on the market for £250,000.
The bank shut on February 21 this year despite a campaign to keep the facility open.
Councillor Alun Griffiths (Lib Dem, Idle and Thackley) said: “It’s very disappointing, we’re obviously very concerned about the loss of banking facilities there because it’s something people need access from.”
The councillor said the campaign has pushed for a banking hub in the area, where major banks and the Post Office share a facility and provide basic services, including over-the-counter.
There are also dedicated rooms where customers can see community bankers from their own bank for more complicated matters that require specialist knowledge or privacy.
Link often sets up these hubs and Cllr Griffiths told the Telegraph & Argus they have asked the company to carry out a review of the banking need in the area.
But he said: “We’ve not been able to convince them we need one”.
Cllr Griffiths added: “Link feel quite happy with the banking facilities but we do not agree.”
A spokesperson for Link said: “We apply independent criteria to decide where cash services are needed in communities.
“Having spoken to local councillors and visited Greengates, we have decided that the area does not meet those criteria for a shared banking hub.
“We have recommended 132 new shared hubs across the country, which will serve larger high streets and market towns like Otley.
“We’re committed to free cash access and will continue to work with local communities to make sure there are sustainable options to access cash for the long term.”
Hundreds of local people have been in contact with the campaign team about their concerns about the loss of NatWest, according to Cllr Griffiths.
It was the last remaining physical banking facility in the Idle and Thackley ward before closing and people now have to travel into Bradford city centre for face-to-face banking, which Cllr Griffiths says people need.
He feels aggrieved at the sale of the building – which he said would be perfect for a hub given it has the facilities ready to go - and added they are now “back to square one”.
Cllr Griffiths said: “It was the last opportunity, we’re still going to continue to fight for some sort of banking facility in the area.
He added: “I’ve no idea who will purchase it.
“It could be a shop, a takeaway, tattoo parlour, all businesses – people have a right to run a business.
“What has been lost in the area has been banking facilities.
“It was well used, there were always queues out there.”
Cllr Jeanette Sunderland (Lib Dem, Idle and Thackley), who also ran the campaign, said the building going up for sale is “disappointing”.
She added: “It’s a shame NatWest are not even bothered really. It’s a ready-made place for it.”
A NatWest spokesperson said: “Our customers are using digital banking more than ever before – over 80 per cent of our active current account holders now use our digital services and over 97 per cent of retail accounts with us are now opened online.
“We know they appreciate the speed and convenience of digital banking for everyday transactions, and often, when it comes to making bigger, more complex decisions, they value speaking to our skilled and experienced colleagues.
“Our branch network remains important to us and we’re investing c£35m in our network across the UK, from 2023-24, as well as continuing to invest in shared solutions like the Post Office and banking hubs.”
Cllr Sunderland claims that one of the banks people were told they could use instead has since been closed.
She said the loss of community banking is not just about paying money in or out, but people also want advice or to discuss issues.
But Cllr Sunderland does feel the right buyer could be beneficial to the area.
She said: “If you look at what’s happening in Idle, it’s a thriving village with lots of little shops, lots of people using them.”
Mike Frazer, secretary of the Friends of Greengates Cenotaph, said the area is “booming” and feels “the possibilities are endless for any potential buyer”.
He suggested it could make a “great laundrette, dry cleaner, or sewing alterations service”.
But he noted that most people who responded to a Facebook post he put out a community page about the building being up for sale “lamented” having no bank or Post Office for the area.
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