The closure in September will mean there are just two banks open south of the river
NatWest is closing branches including at Ashton Gate(Image: Google)
One of the last remaining High Street bank branches in South Bristol has announced it will close in September, as part of a nationwide closure programme.
On Friday, NatWest listed nine branches that would close across the country, and pledged that it would then spend £50 million into its remaining branches and no more would close until 2029.
But that’s too late for the NatWest Ashton Gate’s branch on North Street, opposite the Tobacco Factory, whose customers were informed today would close on September 15.
The closure will leave just two banks with branches south of the river – the TSB on East Street in Bedminster and the Lloyds Bank branch on the Wells Road in Knowle.
It means NatWest will have closed more than 1,000 branches in the past ten years – only Barclays has closed more branches than that, at 1,200, over the same timeframe.
The closures announced on Friday are Royal Bank of Scotland branches in Arbroath, Biggar, Castle Douglas, Giffnock, Milngavie and Motherwell, and NatWest branches in Ashton Gate (Bristol), Llanelli and Port Talbot.
NatWest operates approximately 366 branches and runs the UK’s sole mobile branch service, a fleet of purpose-built banking vans that follow designated routes to deliver banking facilities to rural, remote, or underserved areas.
Solange Chamberlain, chief executive of retail banking at NatWest, said the bank would invest ‘to offer customers a seamless mix of ways to bank with us’.
“We will not announce any further branch closures until at least 2029 and are expanding more flexible and accessible ways to bank, with enhanced support to help customers act with confidence and achieve their financial goals.
“We understand the impact these changes can have for our colleagues and customers, and we will engage personally with all those affected by today’s closure announcement,” she added.
The closure on North Street is the second large chain to close this year, after Co-op closed its supermarket further along North Street into Bedminster, back in the spring.
That large store is now up for rent, with the premises being marketed for a rent of £60,000 a year.