A WRITTEN assurance has been given that a bank in the Yorkshire Dales is not in danger of closure, despite fears for its future.

The HSBC has given the assurance about the Leyburn branch after its decision to close its outlet in Hawes.

It has also offered to give one-to-one training in telephone and internet banking to those hit by the Hawes closure.

Local Tory MP Rishi Sunak had written to the bank’s regional director after constituents had expressed concern about the bank’s decision to transfer Hawes accounts to Settle rather than the much nearer branch in Wensleydale.

He has now had a reply and been told that the future of the Leyburn branch is not in jeopardy.

“HSBC have told me there are no plans to close Leyburn, and while that assurance cannot be taken as the guarantee that it will never close, its immediate future is secure,” said Mr Sunak.

The bank has told him that moving accounts to Settle was to do with the their internal structures and did not imply Leyburn was under threat.

“Accounts are being transferred to Settle because it is a full service branch with longer opening hours. Leyburn is not but that doesn’t mean it is next on the list for closure.”

Mr Sunak said that having expressed his disappointment about the Hawes closure decision, he had also sought assurances that upper Wensleydale customers would be offered support to switch to telephone/internet banking.

“I am pleased to say the bank has offered that support and taken up my suggestion that one-to-one training is offered and, where appropriate, to do that in customers’ homes.”

He is now seeking further assurances that the bank’s business customers in upper Wensleydale would have a full range of facilities under the arrangement HSBC had reached with the Post Office branch housed in the Hawes Community Office.

Some businesses needed to deposit and withdraw large cash sums and he wanted to be sure that they would be able to do so at the post office without additional costs.

HSBC announced last month the Hawes branch would close on October 21, as more than 80 per cent of its customers were banking online or by telephone.