Angry Reaction to Barclays Bank Closure Plan
Last bank on the High Street set to shut in June
Barclays Bank on Brentford High Street
Calls are being made for Barclays Bank to reconsider the planned closure of its branch on High Street Brentford leaving the town centre without a bank or a Post Office.
The bank has announced its intention to close the local branch on Wednesday 2 June saying that it could identify just 93 individuals who used the branch exclusively for their banking needs.
It says that customer behaviour has been changing in recent years which has reduced the number of counter transactions and this trend is expected to continue.
Figures published by the bank show that 2,528 people were classed as regular users of the branch because they made more than three visits in a year and 516 were classed as heavy users because they visited more than 12 times. The numbers for business users were 340 and 127 respectively. The bank argues that many of these customers were already using other branches and most had access to telephone or online banking.
Barclays is suggesting the Post Offices on the South Ealing Road and Strand on the Green Chiswick as alternatives for face to face banking and points out that there are still free ATMs at Food Link nearby and at Morrisons.
Ruth Cadbury MP said, ”This branch is a vital link both for residents locally, but also businesses who rely on the bank. I’ve already arranged a meeting with Barclays and I will be making clear to them the serious and damaging impact that this will have on local residents and businesses in Brentford.
“I know that Hounslow Council and elected councillors are already working hard along with Brentford Voice, to ensure that Brentford continues to have an accessible high street bank.
“Along with the loss of the post office on Brentford High Street I am extremely concerned that we are seeing essential public services being lost from our high street. This will force people to travel long distances to carry out basic services and will cause greatly difficulty for those unable to travel, or bank online or via the phone. I’m particularly concerned about the impact this will have on older customers, and those with disabilities.
“I will also be raising this directly with the Government- it is clear that we need a pro-active approach to support our high streets and vital community assets such as these.’’
Brentford Voice has launched a petition against the closure and says it expects Barclays Bank to acknowledge their social and economic responsibility to the community, individuals and businesses in Brentford, and to reconsider the intended branch closure.
It adds, “Many in our community, including the most vulnerable, have no access to online banking facilities and they would find it very difficult indeed to conduct their affairs at other bank branches. During the current Covid crisis it is particularly inappropriate to require customers to travel considerable distances, often by public transport.
“In recent years, Brentford has experienced very considerable increases in population and this growth will accelerate in the coming few years. We would suggest that the imminent closure of this branch is entirely inappropriate and may, in the fullness of time, be regarded as a very poor business decision.”
A spokesperson for Barclays said, “With more customers choosing to bank in different ways, we are carefully reducing the number of under-used branches we have.”
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March 10, 2021