Barclays has confirmed that it will be removing its cash machine when the branch in Keswick closes its doors later this year.
Cllr Markus Campbell-Savours told a meeting of the town council that he and guest house owner Gary Lovett had met with representatives of the bank who had confirmed that the machine was to go.
He said: “They reassured us in lots of ways and it will be the Post Office that will be picking up much of the slack.
“Having spoken to the Post Office, they say it’s not bad business for them particularly if we want to have a Post Office moving forward.”
Cllr Campbell-Savours said his request for the bank to keep the cash machine in operation “fell on very, very deaf ears”.
“They are looking at a banking presence in the town but I can’t talk about where they are looking to do that,” he said. He added that they planned to commit to the same hours and services with the exemption of cash services that would be picked up by the Post Office.
Cllr Paul Titley said that in the past when you went into a supermarket you would be asked at the checkout whether you would like cash back. He said that was happening less because they do not have the money and for it to happen you had to make a purchase.
Cllr Titley said representatives of Barclays had been asking businesses if they would give cash back without the need to make a purchase.
He said this could provide a bit of light for people who wanted to get cash. “The idea is to have more places in town where you can get a bit of cash by just walking in.”
The meeting was told that to inform visitors an A-board would be put outside the shop or business providing the service but Cllr Allan Daniels responded: “Over my dead body.”
Cllr Jean Murray said that the Barclays machine offered cash in four different languages and its loss would have an impact on the town’s efforts to engage with visitors and get tourist numbers back up to pre-pandemic levels.
Barclays announced last month that it was closing its branch in Market Square on April 21. It said only 11 customers use the bank regularly as their only way of banking.
