Two more local bank branches to go by June

Photo of the outside of Barclays Bank, Patchway. Photo of the outside of NatWest Bank, Winterbourne.

Local residents wishing to make use of over-the-counter facilities at high street banks will find themselves with a further reduced choice later this year as another two branches close for good.

The Barclays branch on the east side of Gloucester Road, Patchway has been temporarily closed since June 2017 when it suffered damage as a result of a fire in an adjoining takeaway.

Uncertainty over its future was brought to an abrupt end in early January when the bank announced in a letter to customers that the branch “will not be reopening”.

The letter added:

“The decision to close a branch is never an easy one; however, we were finding that prior to the fire, fewer customers had been using the branch to do their everyday banking. Taking into consideration the alternative ways to bank that are available in the area, we have made the decision not to reopen the branch.”

The news comes just a month after NatWest announced that its branch on Winterbourne High Street was one of 197 selected for closure around the country.

A spokesman for RBS group (of which NatWest is part) said that the move was in response to more of its customers using online services.

“More and more of our customers are choosing to do their everyday banking online or on mobile.”

“Since 2014, the number of customers using our branches across the UK has fallen by 40 percent and mobile transactions have increased by 73 percent over the same period.”

The NatWest Winterbourne branch is schedule to close on 6th June 2018.

Both banks point out that their customers may access everyday banking services through local post offices.

The two closures, which follow that of the HSBC branch at Aztec West in August 2014, will leave the Patchway branch of Lloyds, on the west side of the A38, as the nearest to Bradley Stoke.

• Cllr Tom Aditya has asked the town council to write to Barclays asking them to consider opening a branch in Bradley Stoke.

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This article originally appeared in the February 2018 issue of the Bradley Stoke Journal news magazine (on page 11). The magazine is delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH, to 9,500 homes in Bradley Stoke, Little Stoke and Stoke Lodge. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.

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One comment

  1. Many members of the community in Bradley Stoke and North Bristol are worried about the closure of two bank branches in the neighbourhood. We know that there may be business reasons for Barclays Bank and Natwest Bank to close their local branches, however, these closures have created much difficulties and impediments for many customers living in North Bristol, especially the elderly and those who don’t have a private transport. Absence of bank branches cause further hardships in order to pay cash in and to pay cheques to the account. Moreover, many online banking customers also find it difficult to travel long distance to get their online bank statements attested in order to use them for official purposes.

    As an elected representative of the neighbourhood, I requested the bank management to reconsider the decision to close the bank branches and instead open suitable premises in the neighbourhood that has got car parking spaces and public transport amenities, which will eventually benefit not only the affected community members, but also the banks themselves.

    I raised this matter directly with the bank’s corporate management, however the concerned bank officials said that on-line banking had taken-over the physical money transactions to much greater proportions, and there is less appetite and footfall in bank’s local branches. They said the local post-office branches were mandated and equipped with the necessary banking services for the community. Nevertheless they said they don’t mind to re-open their branches if there is a responsive demand from the part of the affected customers to do so. A collaborative response from the part of the community is appreciated. Media could also play a positive role in this direction.

    Let us stand united on this issue.

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