Home » UK Business News » Barclays to close 15 more branches this year

Barclays to close 15 more branches this year

By Nagasunder in UK Business News, posted January 18, 2023

Barclays, one of the UK's top high street banks, has announced plans to close 15 more branches in 2023.

The announcement follows the already announced closure of 11 further branches in 2023, bringing the total number of branches closing to 26, in addition to the 184 branches which closed in 2018.

Barclays is not the only bank to be cutting locations this year; HSBC, NatWest, and Lloyds Bank have all closed 114 branches.

Another bank, Nationwide, plans to close one branch, while Santander, Halifax, and Nationwide each plan to close five.

Speaking to The Mirror, a spokesperson for Barclays said: “Our customers’ behaviour has changed significantly in recent years, with the majority choosing online banking.

“As we adapt, we are closing less well-used branches while investing in brilliant customer service and digital technology.

“We are maintaining our community presence with alternative options for customers who still require in-person support. This includes our network of Barclays Local sites in libraries and community centres, bank pods and mobile vans, our cashback without purchase service, Shared Banking Hubs and everyday banking at the Post Office.”

Tobias Gruber, founder and CEO of credit broker My Community Finance, commented on the Barclays branch closures by saying that it was becoming more typical for banks to close their high street branches as more clients shifted to online and digital banking techniques.

Gruber said: “In the case of Barclays, the closure of these branches will result in cost savings for the bank, so I hope they choose to reinvest in improving their digital and telephone banking services for their loyal customers, as well as providing more ‘pop-up’ banks and support vans for their rural customers who may not have access to the internet,”.

However, he warned that there are no assurances that they will stay open for very long.

He advised Barclays customers who want branch access and don't have access to alternative services to think about switching to a bank with a physical branch in their area.

Others think that the continued branch closures by these large high-street banks create a fresh chance for mortgage brokers to provide tailored services.

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The following is the list of the additional 15 Barclays branches that are set to close this year:

Bargoed (1 Hanbury Road CF81 8XA) on April 14, 2023

Barnoldswick (5 Church Street BB18 5UR) on April 14, 2023

Bishop Auckland (55 Front Street, Stanhope DL13 2TU) on April 21, 2023

Flitwick (3 Station Road MK45 1JS) on April 14, 2023

Guiseley (45 Oxford Road LS20 8AE) on April 12, 2023

Hunstanton (42 High Street PE36 5AQ) on April 12, 2023

Keswick (Market Square CA12 5BE) on April 21, 2023

Leeds (390 Harrogate Road LS17 6PY) on April 21, 2023

London (104/108 Tower Bridge Road SE1 3NG) on April 19, 2023

London (260 Walworth Road SE17 1JF) on April 13, 2023