A MAJOR high street bank has confirmed that 18 more of its branches will shut for good this winter.
NatWest Group is bringing the shutters down in multiple locations from February 2024.
GettyRBS has announced the closure of a single branch and NatWest will close in a further 17 locations next year[/caption]
The closures come as big banks look to move more of their services online.
The NatWest banking group which cooperates out of NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Ulster Bank branches has closed 402 bank branches since May 2022.
RBS has announced the closure of another branch in November 2024 at 23 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow.
NatWest will also close 17 of its branches in the new year. Here’s the full list of locations closing next:
Water Lane, Bakewell – February 22
Bristol Road, South Birmingham – March 5
Chiswick High Road, London – February 20
Castle Street, Dudley- March 7
New Line, Bradford – February 21
Greenwich Church Street, Greenwich – February 22
High Street, Maldon- March 7
Marine Road Central, Morecambe – February 28
Prescot Road, Liverpool – March 5
Moor Street, Ormskirk – February 27
Taff Street, Pontypridd – February 29
High Street, East Redcar – February 20
High Street, Rickmansworth – February 29
Piccadilly, London – March 6
High Street, Rochester – March 6
Victoria Road, Surbiton – February 21
High Street, Wednesfield – February 28
Station Parade, London – February 27
Data from the UK’s largest cash machine network, LINK, keeps track of any planned branch closures across the UK.
It comes following dozens more by several major banks, including HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, Virgin Money and Halifax.
Many people, particularly the elderly, still rely on in-person services and the closures will make it more difficult for this demographic to access services.
But there are still a number of ways in which affected customers can access basic banking services without having to venture to the next town.
You can use one of the Post Office’s 11,635 branches to perform basic banking tasks — but not open new bank accounts or take personal loans and mortgages.
Many banks also offer a mobile banking service. This is where your bank brings a bus to your local area that has the services that are usually available at your branch.
You should call up your bank to see if it runs a banking bus and they will be able to tell you where and when it will be parked.
Other banks use buildings such as village halls or libraries to offer mobile banking services.
Banking hubs, which offer traditional shared services, have also been set up in four locations around the UK to help plug the gap — in Brixham, Cambuslang, Cottingham and Rochford.
Banking hubs, which offer traditional shared services, have also been set up in eight locations around the UK to help plug the gap — in Acton, Brixham, Buckingham, Cambuslang, Carnoustie, Cottingham, Rochford and Troon.
There are plans to open dozens more hubs across the UK.
How many new banking hubs are planned?
The first four banking hubs were succesfully piloted last year in Brixham, Cambuslang, Cottingham and Rochford.
Four more have opened in Acton, Buckingham, Carnoustie and Troon.
Following further branch closures LINK, the UK’s Cash Access and ATM network, has identified a further 54 locations which require banking hubs.
There are 37 banking hubs planned for England in:
Ampthill, Bedfordshire
Axminster, Devon
Barnoldswick, Lancashire
Barton, North Lincolnshire
Belper, Derbyshire
Bury Park, Bedfordshire
Cheadle, Staffordshire
Clay Cross, Derbyshire
Downham Market, Norfolk
Earlestown, Merseyside
Elland, West Yorkshire
Haslemere, Surrey
Helston, Cornwall
Heywood, Rochdale
Hornsea, East Yorkshire
Horwich, Bolton
Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire
Knaresborough, Harrogate
Looe, Cornwall
Lutterworth, Leicestershire
Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire
Market Rasen, Lincolnshire
Maryport, Cumbria
Newton Aycliffe, County Durham
Oakham, Rutland
Otley, West Yorkshire
Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire
Shirebrook, Derbyshire
Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex
Sidmouth, Devon
Stapleford, Nottinghamshire
Syston, Leicestershire
Ware, Hertfordshire
Watton, Norfolk
Welling, London
Wellington, Somerset
Withernsea, East Yorkshire
A single banking hub is planned in Northern Ireland in:
Kilkeel, County Down
Nine banking hubs are planned for Scotland in:
Brechin, Angus
Carluke, South Lanarkshire
Crieff, Perth and Kinross
Cumnock, East Ayrshire
Forres, Moray
Girvan, South Ayrshire
Jedburgh, Scottish Borders
Kilwinning, North Ayrshire
Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway
Seven banking hubs are planned for Wales in:
Abergele, Conwy
Abertillery, Blaenau Gwent
Porthcawl, Bridgend
Prestatyn, Denbighshire
Risca, Caerphilly
Treorchy, Rhondda Cynon Taf
Welshpool, Powys
There isn’t a set date for when these hubs are expected to open but it’s expected that they’ll be up and running within the next 12 months.