The Yateley Magazine June 2014

for quite some time, assessing how the closure would affect Yateley residents. It was mentioned by one councillor that a lot of those who use Barclays bank are the elderly or disabled, due to its convenience and location in the centre of town. The same councillor continued by pointing out how outrageous the idea is that these residents are expected to make the journey to branches as far afield as Camberley, Frimley and Crowthorne. And with the local business population in Yateley growing fast, small business owners need the support of their local bank to help them make the next step forward and nurture them - a role Barclays has always taken on with pride. Anyone who banks with Yateley Barclays can tell you that the branch is always busy, and it is a rare day that you go in to find it empty - a very good sign of a thriving bank in high demand by the community.

Shortly after the announcement by Barclays, loyal customer rallied for a protest outside the branch, challenging Barclays to defend the closure of such a popular bank. While the branch is always bustling with customers, the banks metrics show a ‘fall in customer usage’, prompting them to close the branch. One town councillor described this decision as ‘diabolical’ while Yateley residents were appalled by this reasoning. Arguing both sides, local resident Simon Smith commented: ‘Sad to see it go, but with online banking, high street banking is losing its relevance. Cheques can be paid in at the Post Office 100 yards away, cash withdrawn from the ATM all with no additional costs. Access to a manager or mortgage services will have to be carried out at the bigger branches like Fleet or Crowthorne. All very good for people happy with technology, but for the elderly, the technophobes or those with no transport, this will cause a problem.

This last point is exactly what the regular users of the Yateley branch of Barclays are concerned about, and the removal of this community resource 28 The Yateley Magazine | May 2014