Why branches are closing down leaving Calderdale towns with no banks

Lloyds bosses announced this week that its Albert Street branch will close on January 21 next year.

READ: Business fears after Hebden Bridge bank closure announcementIt is currently the last bank to exist in the town centre following the closure of Barclays on Market Street in April.

The news comes on the back of Sowerby Bridge losing its last bank in July this year.

READ: Anger as last bank in Sowerby bridge closes its door for the final time

The last bank in Sowerby Bridge has closed its doors for the final time in a move that has angered residents and councillors. The decision to close the Halifax Bank angered residents, councillors and the Halifax MP Holly Lynch.

A petition against the closure received over 1100 signatures which was handed in to Halifax Bank’s Managing Director Russell Galley.

It highlighted the impact on elderly customers and businesses in particular and noted that the bank as a whole had made nearly £2 billion profit last year.Pensioners in Elland will have to travel to Halifax or Brighouse to use a bank after the two remaining branches in the town announced they would close. In the summer of 2017, the Halifax and Barclays branches on Southgate. The closures followed in the footsteps of the Yorkshire Bank moving out of town the previous year.

READ: Residents hit out as Elland will be left with no bank in the town

It has resulted in pensioners in Elland travelling to Halifax or Brighouse to use a bank

What the banks say

Banks have explained the reson behind the branch closures is down to a change in their customers' habits.

Lloyds Banking Group, made up of Lloyds Bank, Halifax and Bank of Scotland explained: "We are constantly transforming our branch network as we reflect changing customer demand for branch transactions and service. Sometimes this will mean we make the difficult decision to close branches.

"When deciding to close a branch, we take a number of factors into account to help us understand the impact on our customers and the local community – including ways for customers to continue to access banking services. For all closure decisions, we follow the UK Finance Access to Banking Standard (and previously the Access to Banking Protocol)."

READ: Cull of bank branches ‘could see 12,000 jobs put at risk’