NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland announce the…

NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland announce the closure of branches across Nottingham

Natwest has announced that it plans to close 32 branches of NatWest and the Royal Bank of Scotland with Nottingham earmarked to lose facilities.

In this latest string of bank closures, two high profile Nottingham city centre locations are on the list as well as branches in Bulwell and Hucknall.

The bank said the move was a result in a drop in the use of branches since the pandemic began.

Branches will close in the next 12 months.

NatWest last cut roles in 2020, when it axed the positions of 550 employees in its retail business division and shut one of its London offices, reported the Mirror.

Addressing concerns about the most recent closures to be announced, such as how the closures will impact groups such as the elderly, Natwest said it "will contact vulnerable customers to ensure they can continue to bank with us in the way which suits them best", ahead of the closures.

The firm added that a new postal cash delivery and Companion Card service had been rolled out nationwide for vulnerable customers.

The NatWest City Centre branch in Nottingham's Victoria Centre is due to close permanently on Wednesday, July 6, 2022.

The latest round of cuts comes just weeks after it emerged two Post Office branches are closing every week in the UK, leaving "huge gaps" in communities and impacting the elderly, carers and those in rural areas hardest.

Citizens Advice warned 206 post offices have closed in the last two years, the equivalent of two closing each week.

In addition, 1,291 branches are currently deemed “temporarily closed”, but almost six in 10 of these have been shut for more than two years, the report said.

A NatWest spokesperson said: “As with many industries, most of our customers are shifting to mobile and online banking, because it’s faster and easier for people to manage their financial lives.

“We understand and recognise that digital solutions aren’t right for everyone or every situation, and that when we close branches we have to make sure that no one is left behind.

“We take our responsibility seriously to support the people who face challenges in moving online, so we are investing to provide them with support and alternatives that work for them.”

The number of jobs affected is unknown however NatWest said staff will be redeployed where possible.

A statement added: "For the vast majority of colleagues at closing branches, we will look to redeploy them to suitable roles within the branch network.

"For the small number of colleagues placed at risk as a result of this announcement, we will seek to manage any redundancies on a voluntary basis, and also explore where possible, redeployment opportunities."