A planning application to remove the cashpoint at Barclays in Deal has been submitted as the branch makes final preparations for its closure.

It was announced last November that the bank in Broad Street would close on February 11, 2022.

Bosses blame a sustained fall in visits, with 22% less counter transactions measured before lockdown.

Now, a proposal to remove the ATM, as well as external signage, internal counters and all furniture, has been submitted to Dover District Council.

It will be the third cash dispenser to go in recent times following the closure of HSBC, leaving five others in the town centre.

The cut out hole will be filled with brickwork and painted to match the existing.

The three‐storey property is not listed but is situated within a Conservation area.

A heritage statement within the application says: "The original building fabric will not be altered, removed, or concealed.

"All existing original features will not be affected by the proposed works.

"The proposed works are intended to return the building to pre‐Barclays occupation as much as it is possible within the Conservation area status."

Barclays' departure will leave customers with Natwest, Lloyds, Halifax and Nationwide as well as the Post Office as alternative options.

The bank has announced it is exploring other means of a physical presence in the town - in addition to a van - to help its customers with complex financial needs.

A Barclays spokesperson said: “We can confirm Barclays Deal branch is closing on February 11, 2022 at noon.

"Customers will still be able to complete their everyday banking transactions with access to free-to-use ATMs including NatWest and Lloyds and at any Post Office, with the closest located at 17 Queen Street, Deal.

“In addition to the Barclays Van which has been well-received, we are currently exploring an alternative physical banking presence in the local community to continue to provide dedicated colleague support for customers with complex financial needs and requiring non-transactional services.”

Barclays is understood to have been the last bank to arrive in the town in the early to mid 1920s.

It has occupied three sites; 75 High Street, now Coral, and 3 Queen Street, now The Meat’in Place butchers, before moving to 4 Broad Street in the early 70s.

Barclays is also planning on closing its Tenterden branch in February, which has also seen a fall in visits.