LINK: Horsforth councillors welcome recommendation to open banking hub in Leeds town following Halifax closure
Local councillors have welcomed the recommendation to open a new banking hub in a Leeds town.
Horsforth has been suggested as a potential site for a LINK banking hub after the Halifax branch in the town closed on February 24.
First announced on January 29, the hub will work function like a traditional banks but serve all customers rather than those of a single bank.
It will feature an ATM and a cash deposit and withdrawal service for personal and business accounts, operating from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
The new banking hub is expected to be open within three months of the assessment, which concluded at the end of January.
Welcoming the recommendation, Horsforth councillors Emmie Bromley, Raymond Jones and John Garvani said: “We’re very glad that Horsforth will be getting a banking hub. Everyone should be able to access cash and our residents should not be expected to travel two miles to their nearest bank branch.”
"We’re looking forward to working with LINK and Cash Access UK to make sure Horsforth gets the banking services it needs as soon as possible.”
LINK currently operates 11 banking hubs in Yorkshire, including in Otley and Ossett.
Following recent bank closures nationwide, hubs have also been proposed in Wetherby, Armley, Normanton, and South Elmsall.
Announcing the Horsforth hub recommendation back in January, Dr. Chris Ashton, LINK’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “While more people are choosing to bank and pay for things digitally, we know that many people still rely on and choose to use cash and face-to-face banking.
"That’s why we’re delighted to recommend a new hub in Horsforth.
"There are over one hundred hubs open across the country and when it opens, the Horsforth banking hub will be vital for the local community and high street.”