Village's bank hub closure 'devastating'

Northumberland County Councillor Guy Renner-Thompson has accused Barclays of "abandoning" its customers

A bank is to withdraw its services in a coastal village, amid a warning it will leave customers facing a two-hour round trip to reach alternatives.

Currently operating from a community centre three days a week, Barclays has announced it will pull out of Seahouses in Northumberland on 28 November.

The company said people had been "choosing alternative ways to undertake their banking".

Northumberland County Councillor Guy Renner-Thompson described it as "devastating news" for the area, arguing the facility had provided in-person help following the closure of a Barclays branch in the village in July 2023.

The hub forms part of what the company calls its Local offering, which uses community buildings as a place to handle queries and transactions that do not involve cash or cheques.

'Still reeling'

Renner-Thompson, a Conservative who represents the Bamburgh ward, said the withdrawal from The Hub on Stone Close was an "appalling decision".

"This is devastating news for Seahouses and the North Northumberland coast, which is still reeling from the closure of our last bank in 2023.

"I recognise more people are using internet banking, but for members of our older population this is a vital service.

"The nearest hub will be in Alnwick, which is a two-hour round trip by bus.

"I'm calling on Barclays to keep a service in Seahouses, even if it's only one day a week. Otherwise they are abandoning their customers here in North Northumberland."

Responding to those comments, Barclays said: "Increasingly our customers who were visiting the Seahouses Local have been choosing alternative ways to undertake their banking.

"These include online, mobile and telephone banking, where our colleagues are there to support our customers six days a week, or choosing to go in person to alternative options such as the banking hubs at Alnwick and Amble where our colleagues are supported by a full counter service.

"We will continue to regularly review our Local sites to ensure they are adding value for a high number of customers."