Another round of high street bank closures is underway.
NatWest began shutting several branches across the UK this week as part of its ongoing move towards digital services.
Closures have started and will continue through Thursday, with affected areas including London, West Yorkshire, and Essex.
Among the first to close was the NatWest branch at 17 High Street in Grays, Edinburgh, which shut permanently today.
On Wednesday, the Bishopsgate branch in Spitalfields, London, will close, followed by Waterhouse Street in Halifax and Fulham Broadway in London on Thursday.
The closures are part of a wider trend affecting the UK banking sector, with 250 branches shutting nationwide this year from major names including Lloyds, Halifax, and Santander.
According to consumer group Which?, NatWest Group has closed 1,553 branches since January 2015—more than any other UK bank.
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The group said around 95 per cent of its customers now use some form of digital banking.
Despite this, NatWest has pledged not to announce any further closures until at least 2029.
Once the latest closures and those planned later this year are complete, the group will operate 336 branches across the country, including 249 NatWest sites, 62 Royal Bank of Scotland locations, and 25 Ulster Bank branches.
NatWest has also announced a £50 million investment over the next 18 months to upgrade its remaining network through refurbishments, relocations, and modernisation.
The bank said 95 per cent of its customers now use some form of digital banking, but it remains committed to serving those who rely on face-to-face support.
Solange Chamberlain, chief executive of retail banking at NatWest Group, said: “We are investing to offer customers a seamless mix of ways to bank with us, including over the phone, digitally, or via our free-to-use ATM network — while continuing to support those who prefer face-to-face banking in branches and community banking hubs.”
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