A LOCAL NatWest bank branch is set to close in August as more and more customers move to mobile and online banking.

NatWest, on Bradford Road, Brighouse, will close on August 9, 2023, as counter transactions at the branch have decreased by nearly 75 per cent over the last four years.

A NatWest spokesperson said more customers are "shifting to mobile and online banking", a trend that will see NatWest close 40 branches across the country this year.

Lloyds also recently announced 26 branch closures and Halifax announced nine branches would shut, including one at Otley and another at Mirfield.

These follow Barclays, who announced earlier this week that they would be shutting 14 more branches including one at Holmfirth.

A NatWest spokesperson said: “As with many industries, most of our customers are shifting to mobile and online banking, because it’s faster and easier for people to manage their financial lives.

“We understand and recognise that digital solutions aren’t right for everyone or every situation, and that when we close branches we have to make sure that no one is left behind.

“We take our responsibility seriously to support the people who face challenges in moving online, so we are investing to provide them with support and alternatives that work for them.”

NatWest has seen a 73 per cent decline in counter transactions at its Brighouse branch between 2019 and 2022.

The closest Post Office, which does banking services, to the NatWest in Brighouse is 0.18 miles away and the nearest NatWest branch is five miles away in Halifax.

Halifax bank announced earlier this week that it will close its branch in Kirkgate, Otley, on September 23 of this year.

The Otley branch closure will coincide with the opening of a new Banking Hub in the town by LINK.

A Halifax spokesperson: "Visits to our Otley branch have fallen over recent years, as many customers now choose to bank digitally. When the branch closes, customers can use the local Post Office for everyday banking which is a short walk away, access cash at the nearby free-to-use ATMs, alongside other ways to bank such as over the phone and online, or the new Banking Hub once it is up and running."

Like NatWest at Brighouse, Halifax also experienced a similar decline in branch transactions at Otley, with counter transcations falling more than 74 per-cent between 2017 and 2022.