Barclays has targeted 20 bank branches in its latest round of closures – including in now famed Barnard Castle – with these expected to take place between April 2024 and January 2025.
The banking giant made a regular appearance on LINK, the ATM network’s list of branch closures in 2023, with the latest 20 kicking off the catalogue for 2024.
They include 16 in England and four in Wales. The list below sets out the locations and the closure dates:
- 22/23 High Street, Burton-on-Trent, England, DE14 1HU, 11/04/2024
- Unit 27, Longbridge Town Centre, Birmingham, England, B31 2UQ, 18/04/2024
- 27 Bedwlwyn Road, Ystrad Mynach, Wales, CF82 7AA, 17/01/2025
- 21-22 Castle Street, Tredegar, Wales, NP22 3DF, 17/01/2025
- 36 Dunraven Place, Bridgend, Wales, CF31 1JB, 12/04/2024
- 9 The Parade, Neath, Wales, SA11 1RE, 19/04/2024
- 41 Market Place, Pickering, England, YO18 7AE, 17/01/2025
- City Office Park, Tritton Road, Lincoln, England, LN6 7AR, 12/04/2024
- 33-35 High Street, Grantham, England, NG31 6PH, 17/04/2024
- 306 Romford Road, Forest Gate, England, E7 9HH, 11/04/2024
- 30 Main Street, Cockermouth, England, CA13 9LQ, 17/01/2025
- 1 Market Place, Barnard Castle, England, DL12 8NF, 17/01/2025
- 33 Market Square, Kirkby Stephen, England, CA17 4QN, 12/04/2024
- Market Square, Penrith, England, CA11 7YB, 17/04/2024
- 10 North Street, Bishop’s Stortford, England, CM23 2LH, 12/04/2024
- 11/13 Queen Street, Ramsgate, England, CT11 9DZ, 19/04/2024
- 1 Yorkshire Street, Rochdale, England, OL16 1BH, 18/04/2024
- 27 Station Road, Clacton-on-Sea, England, CO15 1TD, 18/04/2024
- 28 High Street, Ely, England, CB7 4LA, 11/04/2024
- 20 Old Brompton Road, South Kensington, England, SW7 3DL, 12/04/2024.
In total in 2023, Barclays announced 203 locations were to shutter, while in 2022, the banking giant confirmed it would close 132 branches.
At the end of 2022, it had a branch network of 481, falling to 414 by mid-2023.
As with previous branch closure confirmations, Barclays told us it’s down to the shift towards digital banking – either online or via the app – with fewer people interacting in branch.
Digital customers have increased year-on-year to stand at 10.9 million, with nearly four billion app logins a year and over 90% of transactions completed digitally.
A Barclays spokesperson, said: “As visits to branches continue to fall, we need to adapt to provide the best service for all our customers. Where there is no longer enough demand to support a branch, we maintain an in-person presence though our Barclays Local network, live in over 300 locations, based in libraries, town halls, mobile vans and our banking pods. We also support access to cash with our cashback without purchase service, 24-hour deposit-taking ATMs and by working alongside the Post Office and Cash Access UK.”
Alternative ways to continue banking with Barclays
As well as Barclays Local, customers can visit Banking hubs which provide basic banking services including counter services run by the major banks and the Post Office. There are also dedicated rooms where customers can see community bankers from their own bank for more complicated matters that require specialist knowledge or privacy.
According to LINK there are 31 banking hubs open, including in Acton, Brixham, Cambuslang, Carmoustie, Cottingham, Rochford and Troon.
However, as branch closures ramp up, LINK recently recommended its 100th shared banking hub after analysing the impact of 847 bank branch closures, as well as receiving more than 600 requests from members of the public.
There are currently 38,480 free ATMs across the UK, down from 40,869 at the end of 2022. There are also 11,000 Post Offices where customers can access and carry out basic banking services.
Related: An in-depth guide to your rights when your bank branch closes
