NatWest and RBS announce closure of another 19 branches

NatWest Group has said it plans to close another 19 branches, mostly in the early part of next year, the latest tranche of hundreds of banks that have closed in recent years.

The business said it will shut 18 NatWest branches and one Royal Bank of Scotland set.

The NatWest branches are mainly spread across England, apart from one in Pontypridd in Wales.

All the NatWest sites will close in either the latter part of February or early March, the bank said.

Three of the sites are in London, with others in Redcar, Bradford, Birmingham, Maldon and Dudley, among others.

The one RBS branch that is set to close is on Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow, though it will stay open until November 19 next year.

There has been a massive exodus of branches from the high street in recent years.

So far in 2023 alone, banks have announced the closure of 578 branches across the UK.

The largest number of closures announced this year have been Barclays branches. The bank has said 185 of its sites are set to shut.

NatWest is second with 116 branches, followed by Lloyds (112), Halifax (72), Virgin Money (40), Bank of Scotland (28), Ulster Bank (10), TSB (nine), RBS (five), and Nationwide (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. Customers have chosen 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.”