Banks to close in Barnham and Arundel

The Arundel branch will close on November 17, with the Barnham branch closing the following day.

The number of transactions at the Barnham branch has dropped by 19 per cent since 2011, and only 47 customers use the branch on a regular weekly basis, the bank said.

A NatWest spokesperson said: “We are committed to following the UK Government protocol on branch closures, and we have made the decision following careful consideration of a wide range of factors including branch usage and the alternative ways our customers can bank with us locally.

“Our customers are increasingly using alternative ways to bank with them such as online and mobile banking.

“As a result, branch transactions have declined by around 36 per cent since 2010, whilst online and mobile transactions have grown by more than 300 per cent.

“Only 9 per cent of their total transactions are now undertaken in branches in comparison to 25 per cent in 2010.”

The bank says it has made an agreement with the Post Office in both locations so NatWest customers will still be able to check their balance, deposit and withdraw funds, while business customers can get coinage.

Customers are being written to informing them of the closures, NatWest said.

NatWest is currently investing £250,000 to modernise it’s Littlehampton branch.

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