Full closure list as NatWest announces plan to axe 23 banks off UK high streets
High street banking giant NatWest has announced the closure of 23 branches across the country, adding to dozens that have already closed so far this month.
The closures, which are scheduled to take place from April to June, are down to more people banking online.
The bank said it had slated 21 sites in England to shut down and two in Wales.
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Sites including Frome, Bootle, Stroud and Blackpool will shut down between late April and the start of June, NatWest said.
The timing of the closure of the branches in Horwich and Shoreham-by-Sea has yet to be decided.
It comes a week after Lloyds Banking Group said it would close 40 Halifax and Lloyds sites in England and Wales.
At the time the company blamed footfall, which has been rapidly decreasing since the onset of online banking and dropped further during the pandemic.
Lloyds said the number of customers visiting the branches it plans to close had dropped by 60% on average over the last five years.
A NatWest spokesperson said: “As with many industries, most of our customers are shifting to mobile and online banking, because it’s faster and easier for people to manage their financial lives.
“We understand and recognise that digital solutions aren’t right for everyone or every situation, and that when we close branches we have to make sure that no one is left behind.
“We take our responsibility seriously to support the people who face challenges in moving online, so we are investing to provide them with support and alternatives that work for them.”
The latest announcement means 87 branches have been slated for closure by high street banks so far this year.
In October NatWest announced it planned to close 43 branches, adding to 15 announced in May and 21 in February.
NatWest branches scheduled for closure:
Southampton – Bitterne Road – April 25
Blackpool – Lytham Road – April 25
London – Clapham High Street – April 26
Stroud – Bank Buildings – April 26
Fleet – Fleet Road – April 27
Heslington – Main Street – April 27
Dunstable – High Street North – May 3
Maidstone – Sutton Road – May 4
Exeter – St Thomas Centre – May 9
Bootle – Stanley Road – May 10
Crawley – Gatwick Road – May 11
Frome – Market Place – May 11
Broadwater – Broadwater Street East – May 16
Colwyn Bay – Abergele Road – May 17
Ilminster – East Street – May 18
London – Marylebone High Street – May 23
Sheerness – High Street – May 24
Llansamlet – Phoenix Way – May 25
Cranbrook – High Street – May 30
Torquay – Newton Road – May 31
Birstall – Loughborough Road – June 1
Horwich – Lee Lane – TBC
Shoreham-by-Sea – East Street – TBC
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