Three Nationwide branches used 'every day' by Northampton neighbourhoods will close today

Three Nationwide branches set in the centre of Northampton neighbourhoods will close for good tonight.
Kingsley Park Terrace.Kingsley Park Terrace.
Kingsley Park Terrace.

The building society revealed in July it planned to close the three local banks as it shifts its investment towards town centre and other branches.

Now, the branches - set in St Leonard's Road, in Far Cotton; Weedon Road, in St James; and Kingsley Park Terrace, in Kingsley - will shut their doors for the last time at closing time today (October 18).

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Nationwide claims the closures are because of a drop in footfall, and comes as a new modernised branch in Abington Street in Northampton town centre is set to open on Monday (October 21).

Weedon Road, St James.Weedon Road, St James.
Weedon Road, St James.

Speaking in July after the closures were announced, director of branch network Mandy Beech said: "While we are investing in a branch transformation programme across Northampton, at the same time we've seen footfall dropping in these branches.

"We see this as an opportunity to spend our members' money more wisely."

The announcement in summer was met with outrage by the branches' regular customers.

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Across two days in the week following the announcement, councillor Catherin Russell (Lab) collected 140 signatures outside the Kingsley branch in a bid to show Nationwide the local branches are needed.

Three Nationwide branches across Northampton will close by the end of today.Three Nationwide branches across Northampton will close by the end of today.
Three Nationwide branches across Northampton will close by the end of today.

She told the Chronicle and Echo: "I wrote to Nationwide and said how unhappy I was about the closure.

"I was even invited to a conference call with Nationwide about the closure. But within minutes it became they had no plans to change their minds.

"I would even say their policy of asking customers to tell them how it affects them was just a marketing strategy to attempt to look like they listened to our concerns.

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"Nationwide made up their minds about the closures and they had no mind to reconsider no matter what was said to them."

St Leonard's Road, Far Cotton.St Leonard's Road, Far Cotton.
St Leonard's Road, Far Cotton.

Speaking in July, Mandy Beech said: "Any closure will have an impact on some customers more than others. This has been a difficult decision to make.

"We are equally investing in Northampton at the same time. The new branch will allow us to offer our members the very best face to face service, providing them with a place they can come to get the help and advice, or somewhere they can just pop in for a coffee and a chat."

The new Nationwide in Abington Street comes after the bank moved out of its branch in Drapery.