WARMINSTER Town Council has hit out at plans by one of the UK’s leading high street banks to close its branch in the town.

Councillors say the proposed closure of the Barclays branch at 32 Market Place, which is due to take place on Friday, June 25 will most affect the elderly and vulnerable people who are still part of the cash economy.

Barclays said customers could still use nearby branches in Frome and Trowbridge.

Alternatively, they can use over-the-counter banking services at Post Offices in Warminster and at the Lakeside Garden Centre at Crockerton near Longbridge Deverill.

In a letter to Barclays, the town council said: “The biggest impact will be on those who must travel to another town to use a Barclays branch.

“This will involve additional time and expense, whether it be the running costs of a car and car parking or the cost of public transport. It will obviously be less convenient for these people.

“Whilst many more people are using online banking, we suspect it is the elderly, vulnerable and low paid who are still part of the cash economy and this closure will adversely affect this group within our community.”

The closure follows Barclays decision to close branches in Melksham, Royal Wootton Bassett and Westbury in 2018 and Malmesbury in 2019.

The banking group said the number of counter transactions at Warminster had one down over the past two years.

Barclays said: “We’ve identified that only 128 customers use this branch exclusively for their banking.

“Additionally, 84 per cent of our branch customers also use other ways to do their banking such as online and by telephone.

“Customers using other ways to do their banking has increased by 10 per cent since 2015 and in the past 12 months, 25 per cent of this branch's customers have been using nearby branches.”

Warminster Town Council’s assistant town clerk Tom Dommett said members are concerned that other banks and the Post Office may also decide to withdraw their counter services.

He added: “Whilst it might be expected that some customers may switch to another provider, not all will.

"The fear is that other providers will make the same decision as Barclays, leaving the town without an over-the-counter service for which there is still a need.

“The Post Office provides other services and has long queues, particularly owing to the increase in parcel post.

"It is therefore not an equivalent service. It does not provide the same range of services as the bank and has no cash point.”

The council said it regrets the decision to withdraw from Warminster and has asked the bank if Barclays could provide a mobile banking service one day a week or keep a cash point in the town.

Councillors are also concerned that old bank buildings are not easy to convert and have invited Barclays to offer the building for sale to another bank, building society or other provider of financial services.

Mr Dommett added: “Members acknowledge proposal to close the branch is a business decision, but they are sorry to see Barclays go.”