Chalfont St Peter residents will soon have to travel outside the village to do their banking, including to the Ulez area.
Barclays on 32 High Street will close for good after Thursday August 31 despite efforts to keep it open, including a petition by Buckinghamshire Council’s deputy leader Gareth Williams.
After the closure, there will be no bank ATMs in the village and the only financial services will be available from the Chalfont St Peter Post Office.
However, the Post Office is set to close on Wednesday September 6 for a nine-day refurbishment before it opens again on September 15.
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The nearest Post Offices during the temporary closure will be in Gerrards Cross on Packhorse Road and on Chalfont St Giles High Street.
Barclays customers looking to visit a branch after Chalfont St Peter closure will need to trave to Uxbridge or Ruislip – both which are now covered by the £12.50 Ulez emission charge.
Frustrated residents took to social media to vent their anger only days before the Barclays closure.
Maria Branton said: “10 people in Barclays Bank this morning…Which bright spark decided we don’t need a bank here anymore? Absolutely disgusting treatment of their customers.”
Gilly Heath responded: “It is not unusual for the queue to be 10 outside and 10 inside I think it is more than disgusting.”
Maureen Dagg said: “Disgraceful always a queue at Chalfont. Dread to think of the queue at the nearest. Probably a £12.50 ULEZ charge on top too.”
Sarah Bohn said: “Broke my heart last week, an elderly, confused man asked a stranger on the street how to use the cash machine because the bank was closed. Totally vulnerable and relying on goodwill, rather than the bank who is supposed to help serve him, and millions of other elderly and vulnerable people.”
A Barclays spokesperson said: “Our customers’ behaviour has changed significantly in recent years, with the majority now choosing online banking. This is reflected at Chalfont St Peter branch and as we adapt, we are finding new ways to support our customers by maintaining our community presence with options for customers who still require in-person support.”
“Following the branch closure in Chalfont St Peter we are opening a Barclays Local – a pop-up cashless banking site where customers can meet a colleague face-to-face for banking support. This will be located at Spaces, Building 1, Chalfont Park, Chalfont St Peter, Gerrards Cross, on a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday between 9.00am-2.30pm, offering face to face financial support and education for customers, without the need for them to travel.”
