New blow for Grimsby town centre as Barclays Bank announces March branch closure

  

End of an era - Barclays set to close Grimsby branch in March next year

PLANS to regenerate Grimsby town centre were today dealt a blow with the announcement by Barclays Bank that it will close its branch on March 13 next year.

It says the decision, which will be controversial, is justified because no more than 10 of its customers bank there regularly, most opting for the online alternative.

However, for advice and queries, it says it is considering retaining some sort of face-to-face presence if it can secure a suitable location.

With this in mind, approaches might be made to Lincs Inspire to rent space in the central library or to North East Lincolnshire Council for use of a room in the civic offices or the town hall.

Barclays’ branch on High Street, Cleethorpes, closed in June 2019, with planning permission subsequently granted for it to be converted to a restaurant/takeaway.

The fate of the Victoria Street  property, which is Grade II Listed is unknown as are the arrangements with existing staff.

Grimsby will not be the only town to lose its Barclays. A total of 17 others are also earmarked for the chop.

The full list, which includes the branch at Richmond in the Prime Minister’s constituency, is as follow:

• 100 High Street, Poole
• Crown Buildings, 11 Broad Street, Builth Wells
• 57 Frogmore Street, Abergavenny
• 85 High Street, Blackwood
• 81 High Street, Scunthorpe
• 23 Market Place, Mansfield
• 35 Victoria Street, Grimsby
• 4 North Bar Within, Beverley
• 197 High Street, Perth
• 24 High Street, Dundee
• Valley House, Kingsway, Team Valley, Gateshead
• Priestpopple, Hexham
• 55 Market Place, Richmond
• 193 High Street, Northallerton
• 49 High Street, Skipton
• 63/65 High Street
• 2/4 Aldermans Hill, Palmers Green, London
• 8 The Broadway, Crouch End

Rishi Sunak has already written to Barclays top brass, insisting that the elderly and anyone uncomfortable with online banking should not be disadvantaged by the closure of his constituency’s branch.

He is seeking assurances on the alternative arrangements.

Grimsby’s MP, Lia Nici, is yet to comment on today’s disappointing announcement.