High Street bank NatWest is to close its Nantwich branch in June, it was revealed today.
It’s another blow to the town and will leave just TSB Bank in the town centre, along with Nationwide Building Society.
A notice about the NatWest closure was placed in the branch today and final day of opening is set to be June 19, 2025.
The bank says it will be supporting its customers through the closure.
But one unhappy Nantwich customer Jan Roberts, who runs Pure PR Nantwich, said: “You would expect the bank to write to customers announcing closure.
“The first I saw of it was on social media. Not a good look for this huge High Street brand.
“As a loyal customer of more than 20 years it’s a slap in the face.
“But more importantly it’s a sad loss to the town.
“I know many people who use it for their business banking as I do.
“We’ve lost Lloyds and Barclays. It means I and a lot of other people will now have to travel to NatWest Crewe or like me, look at taking their custom elsewhere.”
NatWest said counter transactions by personal customers in the Nantwich branch had decreased by 53% from October 2019 to October 2024.
A NatWest spokesperson told Nantwich News: “Our customers are using digital banking more than ever before – over 80% of our active current account holders now use our digital services and over 97% of retail accounts with us are now opened online.
“Like any business, we strive to meet our customers’ changing needs and expectations and we’ve been responding to the industry wide shift towards digital services by investing to broaden what customers can do themselves and to offer them greater personalisation.
“We are also significantly investing in refreshing our network – we expect to invest in excess of £20m in our network across the UK in 2025 to improve customer service, enhance the look and feel of our branches, and reduce the environmental impact of our buildings, as well as continuing to invest in shared solutions like the Post Office and Banking Hubs.
“Digital banking continues to provide new and inclusive ways of allowing the overwhelming majority of our individual and business customers, including the elderly and vulnerable, to bank with us in ways that they weren’t able to before.
“But we know that a small number of people are not yet comfortable with it, which is why we are proactively reaching out to support them with this transition, having made over 200,000 calls last year.
“We also have experts that they can speak to for support and guidance.”
The bank declined to comment specifically on what will happen to the current staff at the Nantwich branch, but added: “With any proposed branch closure we take all the measures we can to reduce or mitigate the impact on our people.
“We consider all suitable alternative roles in order to avoid compulsory redundancy and consider employee preferences to either opt for voluntary redundancy or indeed to stay with the bank where there are suitable redeployment opportunities.”
Pointless banks having physical branches these days as no one uses them. Can’t remember the last time I actually went into a bank and I’m no spring chicken. Lots of banking can be done at post offices so old folks have somewhere to go still.
one reason why the bank should stay open even if perhaps on a smaller scale is to help its more elderly customer. Recently I was in the branch when an old lady asked if she could speak to a manager. The cashier said no and she would have to go on line. The lady looked confused and asked how she did that. The cashier established the lady didnt have a computer. No problem said the cashier, download the app from your mobile phone and do it that way. The old lady said she didnt have a mobile at which point the cashier lost interest and dismissed her suggesting she should get a friend to help! We must remember that the elderly were customers and supported their chosen bank fir years. Now the banks should do the same.
Great point, there is zero reason why the banks come to Nantwich once a week or month together to support those who need to talk face to face and or do not have access to online capabilities .
I still believe CE need to become involved , be creative and to ensure the high street does not become a ghost town. I am a fan of other countries where they have transformed former business premises into apartments (think Chester is doing this atm)
Come on, you bankers. We all know that people are doing more on-line, but we also know you need to speak to a person sometimes. Talk to each other and set up a banking hub to service all customers!
Opportunity for Cheshire East to set up, be creative and covert to affordable apartments, wonder if they will step up or hideaway