Future of Bishop's Castle bank looks safe – for now
The future of a bank in a Shropshire town looks safe for now – but there are no guarantees over its long term future.
HSBC was the last bank to keep a presence in Bishop's Castle after Barclays closed its branch there last year.
Councillor Charlotte Barnes, who represents the town on Shropshire Council, said there was now more optimism over the future of the HSBC branch.
Councillor Barnes last year collected an ultimately unsuccessful 800-name petition which called for the town's Barclays to remain open.
She said: "It was clearly difficult for hundreds of people around the area and weakened the commercial offer of the town.
"It was understood that the other big banks had an understanding that the last one in town would endeavour to keep open, but that HSBC was not in that agreement.
"I contacted Business Secretary Vince Cable's office to see if this could be followed up. If there was no commitment from HSBC, people would not be encouraged to move to them."
Councillor Barnes said an official at Mr Cable's office had since been in contact with HSBC, but said the bank had firmly rejected the idea of a shared branch.
David Pearson, HSBC senior policy adviser on banking reform, said in his reply to the Business Secretary's office: "We only close a branch following a rigorous analysis of its commercial viability. While we do not have a commitment in relation to branches that are 'last in town', we always take the provision of alternative banking facilities into account when making a decision about the closure of a branch.
"We will only close a branch that is 'last in town' when there is no commercial alternative."
Councillor Barnes said there was some reassurance in the bank's claim that it would only close in Bishop's Castle if there was no commercial alternative and after a 'rigorous analysis of its commercial viability', taking the provision of alternative banking facilities into account.
She said: "Meanwhile, I am pursuing the question of the voluntary agreement and, if there is one, why HSBC is not signed up?
"This is an issue that has implications for any market town in the country striving to maintain its commercial and trading offer."
