FOURTEEN bank branches are set to close their gates in the coming weeks including giants like Halifax and NatWest.
It comes after at least 19 bank branches pulled their shutters down in December last year.
AlamyAt least 14 bank branches are closing in the coming few weeks[/caption]
And now, more are about to shut down gates for good in the coming days.
These include big-name lenders which are staples on the UK high street.
Customers are increasingly turning to online banking to manage their finances while banks and building societies look for ways to cut costs.
Within the next few weeks, Barclays is set to close seven branches, while Bank of Scotland is closing one.
Both NatWest and Halifax are set to close three branches each.
Here are the branch locations of each of these banks along with their closing dates:
Barclays
1 High Street, Westbury-on-Trym, England – 16/02/2024
34 Market Place, Dereham, England – 15/02/2024
32 Hill Street, Newry, Northern Ireland – 16/02/2024
22/24 Hide Hill , Berwick-Upon-Tweed, England – 14/02/2024
2 Holly Parade, 20 High Street, Cobham, England – 14/02/2024
131 Eltham High Street, Eltham, England – 16/02/2024
2 The Square Abingdon, England – 15/02/2024
NatWest
314 Chiswick High Road, London, England – 20/02/2024
151 New Line, Bradford, England – 21/02/2024
2 Greenwich Church Street, Greenwich, England – 22/02/2024
Halifax
7 Station Plaza, Ilkley, England – 15/01/2024
43/45 Sheep Street, Bicester, England – 07/02/2024
35-41 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, Scotland – 05/02/2024
Bank of Scotland
42 Stuart Street, Millport, Scotland – 20/02/2024
What to do if your local bank branch closes
The vast majority of banking customers are moving online and don’t need a physical branch as much as before.
But any closures can be an issue for others, particularly elderly people in rural areas who don’t have access to the internet.
However, if your local branch is set to close, or has recently, you have some options.
You can carry out most basic banking tasks at your nearest Post Office.
You won’t be able to apply for a loan or open a new bank account at once though.
You can find your nearest Post Office branch by using the locator tool on its website.
Meanwhile, many banks offer a mobile banking service – where they bring a bus to your area offering services you can usually get at a physical branch.
Other banks use buildings such as village halls or libraries to offer mobile banking services.
It’s worth contacting your bank to see what services they have available, and when they might next be in your area.
BRITAIN’S RETAIL APOCALYPSE
It comes as cost of living crisis, high inflation and rising energy costs are forcing retailers to close down their outlets.
Figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) found the UK had lost 6,000 stores over a five-year period.
Several brands have also collapsed and disappeared from our high streets forever, such as Wilko and Paperchase.
In the latest blow, six major chains have shut up shops in the past few hours.
Stores including Next, Boots, The Entertainer, Iceland, Clarks and WHSmith are the latest to suffer.
And now Argos, Next, Jack Wills and Poundland have announced they will all shut selected branches forever in the new year.
6,000 retail outlets have brought down the shutters since 2018, according to the British Retail Consortium.
The trade association’s chief executive Helen Dickinson OBE blamed the closures on “crippling” business rates and the impact of coronavirus lockdowns.