Monday, August 2, 2021

News: Barclays withdraws from Rotherham altogether

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Barclays Bank has announced plans to close its branch in Rotherham town centre, its last remaining branch in the borough.

The planned closure will leave another prominent bank building vacant following similar decisions in recent years by national banks such as NatWest, RBS and the Co-operative Bank.

The closure date for the Bridgegate branch has been given as November 2. It follows on from the closure of the branch at Stag last year.

Barclays said that the main reasons why the branch is closing was that the number of transactions has gone down in the previous 24 months, and 87% of customers at the branch also use other ways to do their banking such as online and by telephone.

Barclays said that customers using other ways to do their banking has increased by 13% since 2015 and, in the past 12 months, 15% of the branch's customers have been using nearby branches. Only 59 customers had been identified as using this branch exclusively for their banking.

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An update from Barclays said: "Before we make the decision to close any branch, we think carefully about how it has been used so far. We consider how many customers have been visiting, what kind of transactions they've been making, and all the other ways they've been choosing to bank with us. We also take into consideration the availability of other branches in the wider community.

"Our branch network and the colleagues who work in them remain a vital part of what we offer our customers. Yet with customers visiting our branches less and less each year, we must constantly assess how and why our branches are used and make decisions based on that insight. There will be times when this means that we will make the difficult decision to close a branch."

After November 2, the nearest Barclays branch will be at Attercliffe in Sheffield.

According to Rotherham District Civic Society the bank makes up part of the former White Hart Buildings at All Saints Square. The "new" public house, with entrances to Upper Millgate and Bridgegate was, commissioned by Mappins Brewery and was designed by James E. Knight, Architect. The 1920s building, incorporating lock up shops and a suite of offices, was described as being late Georgian in design.

The public house opened on the 12th December 1929 and closed in March 1969 following its acquisition by Barclay's Bank Ltd.

Barclays website

Images: Google Maps

6 comments:

Graldhunter August 2, 2021 at 1:22 PM  

So, a bit more of "The Rotherham Economic Recovery White Elephant" descends on our tumbleweed Ghost Town. So much for RMBC and its oft-quoted "footfall".

Mr me August 2, 2021 at 1:37 PM  

Branches closing nationwide,not going to keep em open for an handful of customers!

Anonymous,  August 2, 2021 at 2:26 PM  

A very prominent building in centre ashame to close wonder what else you can open there its a wonderful place

Anonymous,  August 2, 2021 at 2:49 PM  

Until last month; because of Covid and the sensible wish to minimise contact with others, the number of people going into banks & building societies was very obviously going to be be down on normal years. Also low staff numbers meant that, even if you went in, several 'normal' services were not available. People were forced on to 'on-line' and telephone services that they hated - either because the process was not user-friendly or having anything up to a 40 minutes wait to speak to a human being.
In other words the basis of the data is flawed. Genuine figures would have been comparing March 2019\March 2020 with July 2021\July 2022 but then any excuse to reduce service is better than none. Oh and sod the customers who need to visit (as I have not yet found a way to pay in 'hard cash', or withdraw it electronically.
Name deliberately not on the piece - as accounts have been closed for friendlier comments than these.

Anonymous,  August 2, 2021 at 2:55 PM  

I am not surprised by the number of people using the bank has fallen it is rarely open so it seems as though Barclays have manipulated this so they can justify closing the branch. But ultimately this is the future as we move to a digital currency with psychical money rapidly disappearing that we will all have a digital wallet within ten years as payments like wages are paid in credits.
This can easily be done the government stops printing money, Banks stop issuing it the government then sets a date when physical money ceases to be legal tender but allowing it to be converted to the new dgital currency.

Anonymous,  August 2, 2021 at 7:13 PM  

I'm nearly 65 and haven't been in a branch for near on 5 years ,everything done over phone or online.Its the new world same with buying online.The days are over for high streets.Move with the times.Hopefully a new restaurant or bar, because that is the way town centres are going

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