AN MP has voiced concerns over the number of high street bank closures in the district.

And he is calling for changes to ensure residents and businesses can continue to access cash when they need to.

Shipley MP Philip Davies says it is "unacceptable" that some people are being forced to travel long distances to withdraw their own money or make deposits.

He is urging the Financial Conduct Authority to relax rules so that ATM provider LINK can step in and create more banking hubs in communities.

According to the national consumer group Which?, more than 5,800 bank and building society branches have shut since 2015.

Closures in Keighley have included the Virgin Money branch, formerly Yorkshire Bank, in North Street, in early 2022.

And nearby Lloyds Bank shut its doors in November, but the group currently has a community banker based at Keighley Library every Tuesday, between between 9am and 3pm. Facilities available to customers include managing their account and receiving online banking support. More details can be found at lloydsbank.com/banking-with-us/community-bankers

A national consultation into accessing cash is currently underway and one proposal put forward by the Financial Conduct Authority would mean LINK could intervene when the second-to-last bank in an area closed.

But Mr Davies feels the proposal doesn't go far enough and he wants more measures put in place.

He adds: "LINK should be able to operate on a case-by-case basis and look at the bigger picture in an area, and intervene earlier if they think it's needed, rather than having to wait until the second-to-last bank shuts.

"Each area has differing needs and a one-size-fits-all model is not good enough.

"We do not live in a cashless society and people need to be able to access money.

"Many people only want to shop with cash and that is their right – and something I fully support."

Mr Davies is one of 57 cross-party MPs who have called on chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority, Nikhil Rathi, to act.

A spokesperson for the authority said: "We know that, while there is an increasing shift to digital payments, over three million consumers still rely on cash – particularly people who may be in vulnerable circumstances, as well as many small businesses.

"We welcome all feedback on our proposals to protect access to cash, and will consider them carefully. We will publish our final rules later in 2024."