Major high street bank closing 27 branches for good starting in days as ‘less than 10 customers’ use them regularly

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A MAJOR high street bank is set to permanently close 27 branches starting within days because “less than 10 customers” use them.

According to closure assessments by the bank, one key factor that influenced its decision to shut the branches is the tiny number of customers who use them regularly as their main way of banking.

ReutersBarclays said 27 branches set to close are used by less than 10 customers[/caption]

Major lenders have been rapidly closing branches over the last year and dozens more are set to be axed this year as banks look to cut costs.

In total, 340 high street bank branches are set to close in 2024 while more than 50 are set to shut in April alone.

Customers are increasingly turning to online and mobile banking to manage their finances.

But banks are under pressure to keep branches open in towns where there are no rival branches – known as “bank branch deserts” to accommodate customers who don’t have access to online banking.

However, keeping a bank branch running isn’t cheap, with the City watchdog, the FCA, estimating that it costs around £590,000 to keep one branch open for a year.

Keeping an outlet running for just 10 regular customers would work out at a whopping £59,000 per head each year.

Barclays states that customer numbers are one of several key factors it considers when deciding whether to shut a branch.

Other factors include what percentage of its customers have used a nearby branch within the last 12 months and how many people who use the branch also have access to online banking.

A spokesperson for Barclays said: “As visits to branches continue to fall, we need to adapt to provide the best service for all our customers.

“Where levels of demand don’t support a branch, we maintain an in-person presence though our Barclays Local network, live in over 350 locations, based in libraries, town halls, mobile vans and our banking pods.

“We also support access to cash with our cashback without purchase service, 24-hour deposit-taking ATMs and by working alongside the Post Office and Cash Access UK.”

Below is the full list of Barclays branches due to close that are used regularly by less than 10 customers.

Full list of Barclays branches due to close which are used regularly by less than 10 customers

Forest Gate, London – closing April 11

Bridgend, Somerset – closing April 12

Bishop’s Stortford, Essex – closing April 12

South Kensington, London – closing April 12

Birmingham Longbridge – closing April 18

Ramsgate, Kent – closing April 19

Lancaster, Lancs – closing April 25

Shawlands, Glasgow – closing April 26

Aberystwyth, Ceredigion – closing May 3

Willesden Green, London – closing May 3

Dewsbury, West Yorks – closing May 9

Ayr, South Ayrshire – closing May 10

Spalding, Lincolnshire – May 10

Boston, Lincolnshire – May 10

Inverness, Highland – May 17

Alperton, London – May 17

Hornchurch, London – May 17

Fulham Broadway, London – May 23

Leicester Belgrave Road – closing July 19

Keighley, North Yorks – closing August 9

Park Royal, London – closing August 9

Halifax, North Yorks – closing August 16

St Neots, Cambridgeshire – closing January 2025

Borehamwood, Hertfordshire – TBC

Farnham, Surrey – TBC

South Woodford, London – TBC

The following branches which closed in March were also used by less than 10 customers:

Rayleigh, Essex – closed March 22

Beverley, Easy Riding of Yorks – closed March 21

Dundee – closed March 15

Perth – closed March 8

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