SO, the outcome we had all been expecting is to happen - Barclays will go ahead with the closure of its traditional branch in the High Street - and replace it with a 'hub' across the road at the Swadford Centre.

The new Barclays Hub will open the day after the old branch closes, and will provide a 'face to face' service for customers so they will have no need to travel long distances. The distance to the nearest alternative Barclays is set to become even longer now that the bank has announced the closure of its Keighley branch.

The new Skipton 'Local' branch of Barclays, which is already being advertised on the bank's website, despite it not opening until March 8, will open throughout the week, with half an hour for lunch, and not on Saturdays - which suggests a very limited staff; and customers will not be able to deposit, or withdraw cash - for that, Barclays suggests people take themselves off to the Post Office and join the queue there.

So, the Barclays Hub in the Swadford Centre will offer help people with everyday finances and money management, such as help with opening accounts, updating details and paying bills. It will also offer free digital skills workshops and 'fraud and scams awareness events for the community' - and presumably deal with customers who have been told to 'visit your branch' after coming up against a problem on their Barclays app.

One does wonder how long the hub will remain open before it too closes with the bank saying not enough people have been coming through the door; after all, once its staff helps all those who need it to become familiar with online banking, what need will there be for that service?