Branch of NatWest, which serves Hucknall and Bulwell, to close permanently

Hucknall lost its High Street branch of the banking giant several years ago – with the town’s customers urged to continue using the Bulwell equivalent. It is known as the Bulwell and Hucknall branch.

But now the company has revealed that the Market Place base, a long-time fixture of the town centre, will close to face-to-face customers on May 26.

The company says it has had to make this decision based on changes in the way people bank, adding: “With the ease of mobile and online banking fewer people are coming into the bank.

"This means we’ve had to make some tough choices about which can stay open. So, we want to make sure that we keep the branches people are using most.”

“Closing a branch is always difficult and not a decision that we ever take lightly.”

In recent years footfall at NatWest branches has fallen, with counter transactions down by 30% between January 2018 and February 2020. The number of customers using mobile apps increased by 19% between January 2018 and February 2020.

At the Bulwell branch specifically, counter transactions for personal customers have decreased by 28% with just 29 personal customers using it on a regular basis in 2019

In addition, the branch was used by only 155 business customers on a regular basis in 2019.

Data from 2020 has been discounted as it was skewed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a factsheet, NatWest added: ”We completely understand that online banking isn’t right for everyone. Sometimes you want to chat things through with someone. We promise that you’ll still be able to talk to one of our team either on the phone, by video or in one of our other branches.”

The Bulwell closure means the closest NatWest branches for Dispatch district residents are at Basford, Arnold or Nottingham city centre.

Alternatively, customers can use their debit cars to check their balance and withdraw or pay in cash at their local Post Office.

There are concerns that the branch base could leave prime premises empty and there will now only be one bank open in Bulwell.