At the same time, the Society is redesigning its branch on Briggate to provide a larger, more modern customer area and increase the number of private interview rooms.

All accounts held at East Parade will be transferred to Briggate.

There will be no job losses as a result of the move as staff currently alternate between the two city centre branches and will in future all be permanently based at Briggate.

A spokeswoman said: "The majority of the Society's customers who transact in Leeds centre choose to do so in the Briggate branch. Briggate is a five minute walk from East Parade and is a location that is popular with both shoppers and office workers."

Work on the refurbishment of the Briggate branch will begin in early September and will be completed by the end of October.

All East Parade customers have been notified of the plans and have been offered the opportunity to talk to Society staff.

Iain Cornish, the Bradford-based Society's chief executive, said: "Yorkshire Building Society is one of the few financial institutions that is growing its branch network, and we have opened four new branches in the last year with another new branch due to open in Solihull next month.

"In Leeds we have two branches, one that has for some time been over-stretched with customers having to wait for service and interview rooms and a second which was particularly quiet.

"We have therefore taken the decision to invest in our Briggate branch by creating a bigger customer service area and more private interview spaces, and close the East Parade branch.

"The Society has provided financial services to the people of Leeds for many years and remains absolutely committed to the city."

The Yorkshire has 135 branches and 65 agencies across the UK.