Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Business
Sam Barker

Barclays announces more bank branch closures coming early next year under cut backs

Barclays will close two more of its branches in early 2022, the firm announced today.

The bank's outlets in Daventry and Towcester, in Northamptonshire, will shut because customers are "increasingly using alternatives to branches to do their banking ", the lender said.

The Daventry branch will shut on February 2 and Towcester will follow on February 8.

The bank said only 123 customers bank with the Daventry branch, with just 84 in Towcester.

Nearby Barclays branches located in Northampton, Rugby, Milton Keynes and Banbury will stay open.

Barclays last announced closures in December last year, affecting 63 branches.

The closures came despite the bank giant admitting some of the earmarked branched had seen rising customer numbers since 2019.

A Barclays spokesperson said: “The decision to close a branch is never an easy one. However, customers are increasingly using alternatives to branches to do their banking.

"As a result, we are seeing a sustained fall in branch visits across the UK. This ongoing change in behaviour means we are seeing a sustained fall in customer transactions across our network."

Are you a worker affected by the closures? Message mirror.money.saving@mirror.co.uk

The bank said around 200 customers are reliant on the two branches (GrimsbyLive/Donna Clifford)

Banks have been closing branches at a steady rate, saying they are too expensive to keep open.

However, many older customers are reliant on physical bank branches, as are adults in areas with poor internet.

In October Lloyds Banking Group confirmed plans to close 48 more branches across England and Wales, including seven Halifax outlets.

The lender said the closures are linked to changing customer habits, with 18million of its 25million customers now banking online.

Around 178 jobs are at risk as a result of the decision, however the bank said it aims to find all employees alternative roles.

Union Unite accused the group of “betraying communities” that will be left with limited face-to-face support and 178 job cuts.

The cuts - which will take place between January and April next year - will take the total number of Lloyds Group branches from 1,523 to 1,475.

In September Virgin Money announced plans to close 31 high street branches across the country, at a loss of around 112 jobs.

Bosses said the decision - which follows around 700 redundancies at the bank last year - is down to customers switching to online banking during the pandemic.

The company said the number of customers using bank branches for day-to-day transactions has been on a downward trajectory across the UK banking industry for a number of years and that this has been further accelerated by the Covid crisis.

In England, 19 closures will include branches in Ashton-under-Lyne, Leeds and Sheffield.

The branches due to close in Scotland are in Airdrie, Banchory, Broughty Ferry, Cumbernauld, East Kilbride, Galashiels, Milngavie, Musselburgh, Oban, Portree, Stenhousemuir and Wick.

All of the closing branches are located less than a third of a mile away from the nearest Post Office.

It said customers will be signposted to Post Offices for day-to-day banking, including cash deposits and withdrawals, cheque deposits and balance inquiries, as well as coin exchange.

Following the changes, Virgin Money will have a network of 131 branches across the UK.

In August bank Santander shut 26 branches as part of a restructuring announced by the Spanish lender in March.

It followed on from 75 closures in July and 111 that will have closed across Britain by the end of summer.

Around 452 branches remained open once the restructuring was over.

The bank said those affected are all less than three miles from another branch.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.