NatWest will close another 55 branches from September, in yet another blow to the high street.
The latest closures will take place between September and February.
A total of 52 permanent branches and three mobile vans will shut in the latest wave, including locations in Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff.
Natwest says changing customer needs and increased use of online banking options as reasons behind the decision.
Face-to-face banks have slowly declined from high streets over the last few years, leaving some towns without a single branch.
However, NatWest, which returned to fully private ownership this month, said it would be investing £20million in improving its remaining branches and in other solutions such as Post Office and banking hubs.
It also said it would operate community pop-up branches at selected locations for a 12-week period to aid customers through the transition.
Natwest said: ‘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.
‘Our customers appreciate the speed and convenience of digital banking for everyday transactions, and often, when it comes to making bigger, more complex decisions, they value speaking to our skilled and experienced colleagues.’
Which NatWest branches are closing?
Birmingham, Acocks Green – September 16
Ashby-de-la-Zouch – September 18 1
Abingdon, Market Place – September 24
Bicester – September 30
Bridgwater – October 27
Bridpor – October 29
Cardiff, Canton – September 16
Chippenham – October 15
Cirencester – September 17
Cromer – date TBC
Cwmbran – September 1
Dorchester – October 22
Birmingham, Edgbaston – September 11
Ely – September 10
Evesham – date TBC
Bristol – Fishponds – September 4
Halesowen – September 3
Hinckley – September 17
Honiton– October 21
Kettering – October 28
Launceston – date tbc
Luton, Leagrave – September 15
Leicester, Melton Road – September 2
Leighton Buzzard, October 28
Llangefni – September 4
Cardiff, Llanishen – September 11
Lowestoft – October 15
Melton Mowbray – September 29
Midsomer Norton – October 8
Mold – October 21
Neath – October 13
Newmarket – September 24
Northampton, Weston Favell Shopping Centre – September 15
Leicester, Oadby – September 10
Paignton – October 2
Portishead, Bristol – date TBC
Rayleigh – September 2
Redditch – October 14
Ringwood – October 1
Romsey – October 13
Leamington Spa – October 1
Birmingham Shirley – September 25
Stevenage – October 7
Stratford-upon-Avon – October 8
Sudbury – September 30
Torquay – September 3
Trowbridge – October 16
Wellingborough – October 7
Wickford – September 18
Wisbech – September 1
Yate, Bristol – September 27
Mobile vans
Prestatyn, Lower High Street Car Park – September 29
Abergele, Tesco Car Park – September 29
Welshpool, Tesco Car Park – September 29
It comes as more physical branches are disappearing from the high street. According to Which?, banks and building societies had closed 6,377 locations since 2015 – 64 per cent of the total that were open at the time.
NatWest Group, which includes Royal Bank of Scotland and Ulster Bank, has closed a total of 1,455 branches since 2015, including 48 last year – more than any other banking group.
Barclays has also slashed branches, having shed 1,236 in the same period.
Banks have earmarked 379 branches for closure this year. Halifax is axing the most, at 100, followed closely by Santander, which is due to shut 95 of its locations by the end of 2025.
As many as 32 UK constituencies are now left without a single bank branch, while a further 71 are down to just one location.
While banks have clubbed together under government pressure to set up shared hubs, just 76 of the recommended 162 had opened by the end of September 2024.
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