Santander has announced that its Long Eaton High Street branch is to close on 5th August 2021 - part of plans to close a total of 111 branches nationwide starting from June 24th and with all of those 111 having closed by the end of August 2021.
In a statement, the company said that it was beginning a closure programme due to changes in customer behaviour since the start of the pandemic, but it added that those affected would be less than three miles from another branch, and that its current and business account holders could carry out transactions at the Post Office instead.
Company officials said that staff will be using the phone to contact customers it concludes to be potentially vulnerable in order to offer individual support over the forthcoming five months.
It said that decisions had been made after in-branch transactions fell by 33% across the business, and, as with its fellow banking companies, it has said that the pandemic has changed the way people used its branches, with on-line transactions showing a 20% growth and two thirds of all transactions now on a digital platform.
The closure of 111 branches is in addition to plans to rationalise its main head office locations. All staff affected by the plans will be offered other opportunities, including elements of working from home or in locations it described as "collaborative spaces" via flexible working patterns.
Customers of the Long Eaton Santander branch can call 0800 085 0879 for help and information about the forthcoming closure.