Major Lancaster bank closing at end of April and new ‘cashless’ service being launched in nearby hotel

The branch at 38, Market Street, Lancaster will close on April 25.

The building occupied by the bank is currently listed online for sale at the price of £1.3M.

A Barclays customer has received a letter informing them of the closure and the letter states that customers can go to the nearest branch which is Preston or Kendal.

Barclays has said the closure is due to the changing habits of customers who now mainly use online or telephone banking.

Barclays have said they looked carefully at how the branch has been used and how customers are banking in other ways.

They said 93% of people who use the Lancaster branch have also banked using the app, online and by phone in 2022.

Less than 10 customers used the branch regularly as the only way to do their banking.

And 9% of the branch’s customers have used nearby branches in the last 12 months.

Lancaster MP Cat Smith contacted Barclays with her and bank customers concerns about the closure of the branch.

MP Cat Smith said: “In January I was informed by Barclays that they were closing their branch in Lancaster, and I wrote to them to make clear in the strongest terms how concerned I and Barclays customers across the district were about this, and I encouraged them to change their mind.

"This is something that has generated a lot of attention online and about which I have received many emails.

“I have now received an update from Barclays. Sadly, despite the strength of feeling on this, they have not backed down on their plans to close the branch on April 25 2024 – this is deeply disappointing.

“Barclays said in their reply: ‘Following our correspondence regarding the Lancaster branch closure, I’m writing to let you know our face to face replace service for customers will launch on Monday April 29 2024.

“I’m pleased to confirm that Barclays colleagues will be available at The Royal Kings Arms Hotel, 75, Market Street, Lancaster, and our operational hours will be Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays 10.00am to 4.30pm, and Saturdays 11.00am – 1.30pm then 2.00pm to 4.30pm.

"We will be offering face to face financial support and education for customers, without the need to travel.

“Customers visiting us at the Royal Kings Arms Hotel will be able to access a wide range of services including assistance with everyday finances and money management (such as helping customers opening accounts, updating customer details, or paying bills), free digital skills workshops and fraud and scams awareness events for the community.

"As the replace service is a cashless site, everyday banking transactions, including cash deposits and withdrawals, will need to be completed at a local Post Office.

“Barclays is committed to deploying a range of more flexible ways that customers can physically interact with the bank. This now includes over 330 pop-up banking sites located in town and city centres in spaces such as community centres, libraries, and business hubs where it offers drop in and pre-booked appointments.”

Barclays said that customers could use an app, telephone banking, online banking and video banking, as well as make transactions at the Post Office in Lancaster.

There are cash machines at Lloyds, 49 Market Street, Lancaster LA1 1JH and HSBC, 35 Market Street, Lancaster LA1 1JQ.

You can withdraw cash, check your balance and change your PIN at all Barclays cash machines and most on the LINK network.

Visit https://www.link.co.uk/consumers/locator