STALYBRIDGE will be left without a bank branch once Natwest closes.
The doors will close on the Melbourne Street facility on July 8.
The chain applied to Tameside Council to have the cashpoints removed from the structure, ending hopes people would still be able to withdraw funds from them. That would leave two at Tesco or ones at petrol stations on Stamford Street and Caroline Street as pretty much the only places in the town where cash can be obtained.
MP Jonathan Reynolds led the criticism of the call, insisting the Government should have done more and that a ‘banking hub’ is needed.
But figures from Natwest signalled why it is closing.
In 2022, just 18 personal customers used the branch on a regular basis, while 160 business customers went through the doors.
And Natwest said: “Comparing January 2019 and January 2023, counter transactions for personal customers have decreased by 48 per cent.
“In 2022, 66 per cent of personal customers using the branch also chose to use online banking or our
mobile app.
“With the ease of mobile and online banking fewer people are coming into the bank. This means we’ve had to make some tough choices about which can stay open.
“So, we want to make sure that we keep the branches people are using most.
“Closing a branch is always difficult and not a decision that we ever take lightly. We look at the likely impact on customers. How often customers use the branch and the transactions they’re making, their banking preferences, where the nearest branch and nearest cash machines are, is there a local Post Office for everyday banking?”
Natwest will follow Halifax, Lloyds, Yorkshire Bank, Yorkshire Building Society and Barclays in closing their branch in Stalybridge.
Mossley, Audenshaw and Droylsden currently do not have a bank branch while Denton lost theirs in August 2023.
Customers can still do their banking at the branch of the Post Office, as well as use cash machines.
But MP Reynolds, whose political colleague Andrew Gwynne described Denton’s closures at leaving people ‘in the lurch,’ believes a solution should be found.
He said: “One alternative that has been proposed are ‘banking hubs’, whereby banks would jointly cover the cost of providing shared facilities.
“Clearly to work this would have to offer decent provision and availability. I think we clearly need something like this in Stalybridge (and potentially other towns too).
“I have been in touch with LINK following this news. It is their job to make the determination on whether one is necessary. The initial response is encouraging.
“I would be grateful for constituents views on this so that I could demonstrate such a proposal has community support.
“I recognise personal banking habits have changed and lots of people don’t use branches any more, but I still feel the Government have allowed a situation to occur where there will soon be no bank branches outside of major city centres and little thought has been given to what that means.
“The services available by the Post Office are welcome, but often Post Offices have long queues at key times of the day.
“Small businesses, in particular, need places to deposit cash safely and regularly.”
I disabled this is my bank and now I have to travel to Ashton or hyde I don’t use mobile banking . I twas only last month I called in the branch for advice and switched bank accounts. 14 members of my family use this branch and I know many friends do to. I have been with nat west 63 years .
Maybe lack of parking in Stalybridge prevents people. Denton has no banks at all now too and the elderly population suffers as they are usually the ones who go to a bank. Why should people have to travel to Ashton when it’s in their nearest town?
We bank with natwest normally ashton but was in stalybridge,the man behind the counter was extremely unhelpful and unfriendly. We went to ashton instead. Maybe people don’t go inside with his attitude,our enquiry was dealt with at ashton with no problems pity he couldn’t do the same.
My Nat West Bank shut in droylsden , I started going to failsworth but very little parking at the side, so during COVID started using stalybridge Aldi it’s over the road from the bank and has parking at the back , all the staff was very helpful, been using it ever since it’s always well used , not everyone does online banking, feel for the older people who don’t have a computer it’s wrong to shut them all .
Staff at the Stalybridge branch are the must unhelpful staff , Ashton branch much more helpful.