Bank in Northampton will close in April as more customers switch to digital banking

The Co-operative Bank in Abington Street will close it's doors this year on April 24, after low footfall numbers, which will mean the nearest branch for Northampton customers is either Leicester or Luton.

Bosses say in the past year a significant number of customers have switched to digital banking and transactions carried out in the branch have decreased.

But Post Office stores, as part of an arrangement between all major UK banks, will enable Co-operative Bank customers to carry out the majority of day to day transactions.

Heather Lauder, chief banking operations director at The Co-operative Bank said: “This decision has not been taken lightly and we realise this may be difficult news for some colleagues. However, like many banks, the proposal reflects changes in the way our customers are choosing to bank with us, which has continued to accelerate as customers increasingly undertake more of their transactions online or via contactless payments.

"Our branch network remains an integral part of our overall customer service offer and we have been investing in those branches that are well used. At the same time we are investing in our digital services to provide customers with new ways to service their accounts such as web chat and secure messaging, and introducing digital wallets such as Apple Pay, Android Pay and Samsung Pay as they continue to demand access to banking services at their fingertips.“We’re committed to continuing to provide the high levels of service that our personal and business customers have come to expect from us and we will seek to minimise the impact on our customers. We are writing to affected customers to provide information about the alternative options available to them, as well as our online and mobile banking facilities, all the affected branches are within less than one mile of a Post Office branch where customers can undertake most day to day transactions, and in many cases much closer.”

The bank will talk with affected colleagues and is consulting with workers and trade unions on the proposals. The bank is promises to keep job losses to a minimum and will look to redeploy colleagues into posts within the bank where possible.