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Sheerness Barclays branch set to close in August

By: Megan Carr mcarr@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 16:19, 20 May 2022

Updated: 03:11, 23 May 2022

Another Barclays branch is set to close in a Kent town centre.

The Sheerness bank is set to close in the summer after it was revealed only 167 customers use the branch exclusively.

Barclays branch in Sheerness Broadway
Closing in August - Barclays branch in Sheerness Broadway

In a booklet explaining the reasons for the closure, Barclays said: "The number of counter transactions has gone down in the two years to March 2020, and additionally 84% of our branch customers also use other ways to do their banking such as online and by telephone.

"Since 2015 customers using other ways to do their banking has increased by 15% and in the past 12 months, 25% of this branch's customers have been using nearby branches instead of the one in the town."

The company confirmed the branch will close on August 19.

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The nearest Barclays banks to the Island will now be in Sittingbourne and Chatham.

Cllr Cameron Beart, ward member for Queenborough and Halfway Ward, said: "Disappointing to see Barclays have today published their report confirming the closure of their Sheerness branch.

Cllr Cameron Beart
The writing was on the wall when Barclays reduced the opening hours of its bank in Sheerness Broadway

"It is a large and prominent building in the town centre and hopefully will find another use."

Phil Crowder, chairman of the Sheerness Town Team, said: "This is a real blow to the town. I acknowledge many people are now using the internet but there are still a lot of people, like my own mother, who don't do internet banking and prefer to speak a staff member face to face.

"They are also large premises. It may take a while to find an alternative use for them."

When HSBC pulled out of the town centre in 2015 it was three years before its prominent building at the junction of Trinity Road and Sheerness Broadway, was used again. It is now home to the Jo'Li martial arts centre run by husband and wife team Andy and Maxine Carter.

Sheerness still has NatWest, TSB and Halifax banks.

HSBC Bank Sheerness before it closed

To find out more about the bank's closure click here.

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