NatWest bank closure will have 'large impact' on older residents of Christchurch, says town's Age Concern

THE closure of NatWest bank in Christchurch will have a big impact on the area’s older residents, a leading charity has warned.

As reported in the A&T, the High Street branch is due to close permanently on 16th August which NatWest blamed on a lack of footfall and more customers using mobile banking.

Mary Osaer, general manager of Christchurch Age Concern, told the A&T: “A closure of yet another bank in a short space of time is going to have a large impact on many of our older residents.

“Older people make up a large percentage of the population in the BH23 postcode and although there are many who are quite savvy with technology, there are still many who don’t do online banking and so the need to visit the bank on a regular basis is important.

“We know through our friendship groups and other services how important social interaction is for some, and so face-to-face banking is fulfilling one of these needs and also gives that added reassurance when dealing with money matters.”

She added the bank had not given people much time to find alternatives and Age Concern’s charity shop was also being impacted by the closure.

She said: “HSBC closing will have an impact on us as we bank takings on a weekly basis, so I dread to think of the effect this will have on our beneficiaries and other residents.

“There are small charities where individuals offer lifts to medical appointments and maybe they will need to offer trips to the bank now too if they need to go further afield.”

NatWest, which is making closures nationally, said it had been forced to make “tough choices” about which branches would remain open.

Statistics showed the Christchurch branch had a 51% reduction in counter transactions between January 2019 and January 2022.

The number of personal customers using the bank’s mobile app as well as the branch increased by 61% in the same period.

The bank said only five personal customers used the bank regularly in 2021.

In addition, there were only 83 regular business customers.

The statement added: “Closing a branch is always difficult and not a decision that we ever take lightly.

“We look at the likely impact on customers, how often customers use the branch and the transactions they’re making, their banking preferences [and] where the nearest branch and nearest cash machines are.”

The nearest NatWest bank will now be in Old Christchurch Road, Bournemouth. There are also three free-to-use ATMs in Christchurch.

It is the latest local bank to close, with Barclays announcing recently its Lymington and Ringwood branches were to shut, and a raft of others across the New Forest and Christchurch shutting over the past few years.