Barclays announces closure of 15 branches meaning 100 banks to shut this year – is yours affected? 

Barclays has announced the closure of 15 branches across the country, meaning over 100 banks are slated to shut down so far this year.

The bank is set to close 14 branches across England and one in Wales from late April to the first few days of May.

Sites in London, Gosport, Bridgwater and St Helens are among those shutting down over just a few days.

The move is yet another hammer blow for Britain’s beleaguered high streets, with banks and building societies having closed or planning to close more than 5,000 branches since January 2015, at a rate of 54 each month on average.

Barclays will close 15 of its branches, most of which are in England, from April this year

Barclays has already announced 15 closures earlier this month.

It comes as campaigners warn the rapid branch closures around the UK risk the elderly and vulnerable being left cut off from access to their money.

Eleven parliamentary constituencies already have no banks at all, with dozens of other towns around the UK also without a single branch.

Responding to the announcement, Age UK’s charity director Caroline Abrahams said elderly customers risk being ‘cut adrift’ from banking services and banks should be doing ‘everything they can’ to ensure ‘essential’ services continue to be provided. 

In just eight years more than half of bank branches belonging to the five largest banks have disappeared, with HSBC topping the list after axing 69 percent of its in-person premises.

The announcement follows days after NatWest said it is closing 23 branches, and over a week since Lloyds Banking Group said it is shutting 40 Halifax and Lloyds sites.

Natwest closures are scheduled to take place from April to June and are the bank’s latest move to transition its services online.

In October, NatWest confirmed that it would close 43 branches across Britain in 2023 – 13 have already closed this month.

The UK’s second biggest lender said the vast majority of its retail banking services can be done digitally and it is the quicker and easier way to bank.

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.

Nationwide also announced the closure of a branch in Kingswood, Gloucestershire.

It means the total number of high street bank branches closing this year is already at 103.

Jenny Ross, Which? money editor, said: ‘While many consumers have embraced digital banking, there are still millions, including the elderly, vulnerable and isolated, who aren’t yet ready or willing to make that switch – and they must be protected.

‘Our figures show how the number of bank branches and free-to-use ATMs has been slashed in recent years, so it’s vital that new legislation protects free access to cash for the millions of people who rely on it.

‘The Government must guarantee minimum levels of access without fees being charged and give the Financial Conduct Authority powers to oversee the cash system to ensure it meets community needs.’

Barclays has been approached for comment.