Derbyshire council launches plan to bring bank services back to Peak District town

When NatWest shut the doors to its Bakewell branch in February, there was dismay in communities across the national park, both among those who cannot rely on digital or remote services and those who saw it as a blow to the high street economy.

The closure took place despite strenuous opposition from Derbyshire Dales District Council, the now former Derbyshire Dales MP Sarah Dines, local businesses and over 3,000 members of the public who signed a petition submitted to the then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

All that clamour did not alter the result, and so now the council is taking matters into its own hands, alongside a range of partners who will hold a meeting behind closed doors on Friday, July 12.

A spokesperson for the authority said: “The closure of the bank has left our rural residents and businesses feeling overlooked and isolated. Rural communities deserve the right to access the same services and facilities as urban communities and bank branches are not mere conveniences, they are essential lifelines.

“Bakewell is a thriving market town and home to one of the region’s leading livestock markets at the Agricultural Business Centre. The Riverside and Deepdale Business Parks and the Station Industrial Estate are also important employment centres, and there are many independent shops, cafes, pubs, and restaurants in the town centre who rely upon the provision of accessible banking services.”

Details are scarce at this stage on how the hub might operate but it is understood the meeting will include stakeholders including the East Midland Chamber, the National Farmers Union, Citizens Advice Bureau, Derbyshire County Council, the Mayor of Bakewell, Rural Action Derbyshire and the Peak District National Park Authority.

It will also be a first opportunity for new Dales MP, Labour’s John Whitby, to deliver on the party’s manifesto commitment, supporting the introduction of banking hubs across the country.

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