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Leeds Live
Leeds Live
National
Emma Munbodh & Jasmine Norden

Three Leeds branches of NatWest to close as bank shuts 32 across the UK

NatWest has announced it will be closing 32 of its branches around the country.

Over the next year, NatWest and the Royal Bank of Scotland will be closing the outlets after a drop in usage during the Covid pandemic.

Three of the branches affected are in Leeds, and will be closing in the next 12 months.

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The NatWest branch in Leeds Victoria in the city centre will be closing, as well as the NatWest branch in Headingley.

Leeds will also be losing the Royal Bank of Scotland outlet on Park Row in the city centre.

Concerns have been raised before that closing high street bank branches will disproportionately impact the elderly, the Mirror reports.

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NatWest said it will be contacting 'vulnerable customers' before the closure to find a way to help those people continue to bank with them.

The bank has also rolled out a new postal cash delivery and Companion Card service.

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.

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“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.”

NatWest added that it would attempt to redeploy affected staff to 'suitable roles' elsewhere within NatWest.

The lender also said: ""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."

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