CLOSURE: Which Calderdale town will be left without a bank?

The Halifax and Barclays branches on Southgate will close this summer, which will follow the Yorkshire Bank moving out of town last year.

Joe Braithwaite, chairman of Elland and District Partnership, said: “They say they are here for you but they are certainly not here for us in Elland and I expect we will begin to see it in other towns a as well.

“Other than banking online or travelling to a bank in another town there is going to be no alternative. It is a sign of the times.

“It is going to present a big problem for the elderly and will have a knock-on effect for small businesses making deposits, as well as reducing footfall as fewer people come into the town.”

A spokeswoman for Barclays said: “The way customers undertake their banking is changing as people increasingly use online, telephone and mobile devices.

“At Barclays Elland customer usage has continued to decline and half of our customers now regularly use alternative branches, which is why we have taken the difficult decision to close it.”

The bank directed customers to its branch in Halifax and said some services were available at the Post Office on Southgate.

The Halifax said: “As a result of the way customers are choosing to use our branches, sometimes it is necessary to close, relocate or even open new branches.

“We continually review our network to make sure we have branches in places where customers want and use them the most. We also offer a number of different ways to bank with us.”

The Elland branch of Barclays on Southgate will close July 7 and the Halifax, also on Southgate, will shut on August 15.