A swathe of NatWest and RBS banks will be shutting for good early next year as the bank announces another round of closures.
NatWest Group has confirmed plans to shut another 19 branches, mostly across England, as more customers switch to mobile and online banking.
The move follows hundreds of closures in recent years as banks struggle to keep brick and mortar sites open thanks to the growing popularity of digital services.
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The business said the closures are mainly spread across England, plus one Royal Bank of Scotland branch and one in Pontypridd in Wales.
The affected NatWest sites are due to close in the latter part of February next year or early March and include branches in London, Birmingham, Bradford and Liverpool.
The one RBS branch, located on Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow, is marked for closure but it will remain open until November 19 next year.
This latest wave of closures comes following a mass exodus of bank branches from UK high streets in recent years, with a total of 578 banks shut down across the country so far in 2023 alone.
Barclays has seen the largest number of closures this year, with the bank confirming 185 of sites are set to shut. NatWest follows closely behind with 116 branch closures, followed by Lloyds with 112, Halifax with 72, Virgin Money with 40, Bank of Scotland with 28, Ulster Bank with 10, TSB with nine, RBS with five and Nationwide with just one.
It comes as the average number of transactions made over the counter at NatWest Group branches fell 60% in the four years to January 2023 as customers choose to use mobile apps instead.
NatWest 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.”
Every NatWest and RBS branch due to close
Listed are the 19 NatWest and RBS branches in England, Wales and Scotland that will close next year.
NatWest
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London – Chiswick High Road – February 20
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Redcar – High Street East – February 20
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Bradford – New Line – February 21
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Surbiton – Victoria Road – February 21
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Bakewell – Water Lane – February 22
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Greenwich – Greenwich Church Street – February 22
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Ormskirk – Moor Street – February 27
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London – Station Parade – February 27
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Morecambe – Marine Road Central – February 28
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Wednesfield – High Street – February 28
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Pontypridd – Taff Street – February 29
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Rickmansworth – High Street – February 29
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Birmingham – Bristol Road South – March 5
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Liverpool – Prescot Road – March 5
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London – Piccadilly – March 6
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Rochester – High Street – March 6
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Dudley – Castle Street – March 7
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Maldon – High Street – March 7
RBS
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Glasgow – Sauchiehall Street – November 19
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