Newcastle Building Society has officially opened its Knaresborough branch - part of a multi-use model using space in the town's library.
The move, which was revealed earlier this year, is part of the society's efforts to plug gaps in the high street left by the retreat of other banks and give customers access to face-to-face services. A similar launch is being planning in North Tyneside with a forthcoming Tynemouth branch following success with a similar model in Northumberland and elsewhere in North Yorkshire.
Andrew Haigh, chief executive officer at Newcastle Building Society, said: “We’re facing into a cost of living crisis which will impact every household budget in the country so I can’t think of a time when it has been more important for people to have access to the face-to-face financial services they need. Our members tell us time and again how much they value our branch network, and whilst so many banks are closing branches, we remain absolutely committed to the high streets across our region.
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"Our community branch model is one of the ways we’re taking an innovative approach to delivering the services that people want. We continue to invest heavily in our digital capability, but we’re allowing customers to choose how they want to use our services. That means taking a fresh look at the traditional branch model, working in partnership with local councils and other organisations to deliver a full branch service right in the heart of our communities.
"I’m delighted to formally open our new branch in Knaresborough and to become part of this vibrant community. The feedback from residents and other businesses in the town has been fantastic and we’re looking forward to establishing a long and mutually beneficial presence in the town.”
North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for libraries, Cllr Greg White, said: "The opening of a Newcastle Building Society branch in Knaresborough library has been welcomed in the local community. They already offer a community branch within Hawes library which has proved very popular with those who need access to cash, and is a great way of multi-purposing an already well-used building.
"The offer of financial services has significantly increased footfall into Knaresborough library and is encouraging new visitors through the doors."
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