ONE of Scarborough's leading businessmen has spoken of his dismay at the proposed loss of the Scarborough Building Society.
Andrew Pindar, chairman of the Pindar Group of businesses said the name "could and should" have been retained in its merger with the Skipton and it's loss is a "poor reflection" on the board of the building society.
His comments confirm the findin
gs of an Evening News survey which revealed 96 per cent of readers wanted the name Scarborough to be included in the so-called merger.
More than 160 readers also returned Evening News protest forms urging the members of both boards to reconsider their decision to axe the name Scarborough.
Evening News editor, Ed Asquith, has also asked to address the Skipton board to make representations.
Mr Pindar, whose family connections with the society go back generations, said the Scarborough board's decision not to retain the name was not helped by a reduction in local representation on its board in recent years.
Mr Pindar also said he was very disappointed that the Scarborough's members weren't allowed to have their say about the proposed "merger" and its lose of independence
He said: "It's a lot more than the loss of the name. The Scarborough was once a mutual building society which served the people of this town and the surrounding area.
"It was always a place where local people could deposit their money safely and expect a reasonable rate of return.
"It was also a place where they could borrow money to buy a house in the area.
"It became known that the board did not feel there was sufficient talent in the town.
"I feel this led to a lack of ownership and the current board need to accept responsibility for the society's decline," he added.
The full article contains 310 words and appears in Scarborough Evening News newspaper.
