Banking giant HSBC have announced that their branch in Church Lane in Pudsey will close in October.
HSBC has originally said the branch would close on 3 July as part of a re-organisation which would see 27 branches across the country shut their doors for the last time.
An e-mail sent to customers this week said the branch will close at 2pm on 16 October 2020, with accounts transferred to the HSBC branch at 88 Town Street, Horsforth. The e-mail adds:
“We know changes like this can impact people in different ways and are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. Whilst more and more customers are choosing to bank online, over the phone, or with their mobile, others still value our face-to-face banking services. This is why all the services you’re used to will still be available at our other branches.”
A HSBC spokesman added: “The plans reflect the long-term change in the way customers are banking alongside the bank’s need to ensure a sustainable branch network for the future.”
He said the number of customers using HSBC branches has fallen by a third over the past five years and that nine in 10 of its customers now complete their transactions via the telephone, internet or smartphone and 99% of cash withdrawals are made at an ATM.
The closure plans were criticised by Pudsey councillor Simon Seary when the closure was first announced in February.
The Dispatch wrote about the branch reducing its opening hours back in 2017.
HSBC made over 10 billion dollars in profit last year and set aside 3.5 billion dollars for bankers bonuses. Can they really justify closing the Pudsey branch? The branch is never empty and there’s always a queue, so there’s obviously a demand for the branch. Are customers really going to travel to Horsforth when there are other banks in Pudsey?