A date has been confirmed for another Natwest bank to close as part of the company’s mass exodus from high streets.
The shop in High Street in Rainham has confirmed it will be shutting its doors on July 24, after traffic into the building has reduced by 60% since 2019.
The firm also claimed that only two people would use the branch weekly for personal transactions in 2023.
It follows a long line of closures already in effect across the county with branches in Maidstone, and Strood already closed to customers.
Others are in line too with Paddock Wood, Larkfield, Gravesend, Ramsgate, and Dover all set to lose their branches.
Natwest said another factor for their closures is the increased use of online options and mobile banking but with the closures of high street branches many question if it is a good option for everyone.
Cllr Howard Doe, Conservative councillor for Rainham South East said: “I think it’s a great shame, particularly for older people.
“I think the majority of younger people are versed in online banking and maybe that wouldn’t be so difficult but older people who aren't used to it will again feel more alienated from banking services.
“This becomes a lot more important to them as they get older and so I think it's a great shame to do this now.”
Natwest said it takes a number of factors into account before closing a branch including other nearby branches and cash machines, other banking amenities like the Post Office, and how much of an impact it will have on customers.
A NatWest spokesman 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.
“While we are increasingly engaging our customers digitally, our branch network remains important to us.
“We are also significantly investing in refreshing our network – we are investing c£35m in our network across the UK, from 2023-24, as well as continuing to invest in shared solutions like the Post Office and banking hubs.”
