Natwest announces closure of 53 more branches including NINE in Greater Manchester

Banking giant Natwest has announced that 53 more branches will close in the first half of 2025.

The closures will take place between April and June. NatWest Group, which consists of NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland and Ulster Bank, has closed more than a thousand (1,431) branches since 2015, according to analysis from Which? experts.

This number includes 48 branches that were closed in 2024, while almost 20 locations were shuttered in 2023. NatWest said the closures are due to rising numbers of its customers using online banking services.

Despite the closures, NatWest runs both mobile branch and community pop-up banks for those who need face-to-face support. You can also do some basic cash or counter services at your nearest Post Office - for example, you can pay in cash and cheques, make withdrawals and check your balance.

A NatWest spokesperson said: “Our customers are using digital banking more than ever before – over 80% of our active current account holders now use our digital services and over 97% of retail accounts with us are now opened online.

“Like any business, we strive to meet our customers’ changing needs and expectations and we’ve been responding to the industry wide shift towards digital services by investing to broaden what customers can do themselves and to offer them greater personalisation.

“We are also significantly investing in refreshing our network – we expect to invest in excess of £20m in our network across the UK in 2025 to improve customer service, enhance the look and feel of our branches, and reduce the environmental impact of our buildings, as well as continuing to invest in shared solutions like the Post Office and Banking Hubs.”