Calls for a joint title with the Skipton Building Society have been ignored despite pleas from more than 160 readers who signed up to the Evening News' campaign.

The result of a phone poll, which showed a 96 per cent vote in favour of keeping the name, was also disregarded.

The Scarborough Building Society has served the town for more than 160 years, since its origins in May 1846. It is the oldest building society in Yorkshire and the second oldest in the UK.

In a statement released to the Evening News, the Skipton said it would not meet any representatives from Scarborough to listen to the views of local people, or to explain their decision to exclude Scarborough from the new name of the joint building society.

Jason Clarke, head of PR at Skipton Building Society, said: "The boards of both societies appreciate that there are many varying views on the choice of name, however, it is the absolute view of both boards that the right decision is to take the Skipton Buidling Society name forward.

"This will provide the greatest number of benefits within the overall strategy of ensuring the long-term best interests of both societies' members, our people, and ultimately those localities in which we operate."

Mr Clarke also said that the Scarborough's chief executive John Carrier had already explained the position in full, and on behalf of both societies.

Mr Carrier's explanation was published as a letter in the Evening News on November 7, which said: "Our decision to adopt Skipton Building Society's name as part of the merger process is part of a legally binding agreement and will not change."

The Scarborough Building Society board is chaired by William Worsley, who has been a non-executive director since January 1996, before he was appointed as chairman in August 2002.

Underneath him the board consists of 10 members including senior independent director Kate Priestley, who has been a non-executive director since 2001 and is a former chief executive of NHS Estates, and John Carrier, who has been chief executive since 1992.

The board consists of four non-executive directors – Neil Stothard, who has only held his position since January 2007 and is a managing director of Vp Plc; John Parker, who has not yet completed a year on the board after his appointment in January 2008; Barbara Richmond, who has been with the society since April 2005 and is finance director of Inchcape Plc; and Peter Thompson, chairman of NG Bailey Ltd, who was appointed to the board in October 2005.

The remaining board members are finance director Robin Litten, formerly of Barclays Bank, who joined the Society in August 2002; Andrew Holmes, who sits as operations director and secretary after his appointment to the board in 2005, having joined the society in 1999; commercial director Martin Frazer, who joined the Scarborough in 1989 and became a director in 2005; and IT director Kevin Morgan, who was appointed to the executive in 1992 and then to the board in 2005.