Bank on university campus to close down this week

Barclays Bank, which currently has a branch on University Plain, has announced it will be closing its site on the campus later this week.

The move leaves students faced without a bank on campus, with the decision coming after a reduction in counter transactions at the branch in the two years leading up to March 2020.

And the bank's closure is also set to mean the loss of two free-to-use cash machines on the site, with Barclays applying to Norwich City Council to remove the ATMs and cover in the holes they leave.

Should the application be approved, it would instead see a stainless steel plate covering where the machines now sit.

A Barclays spokesman said: "The decision to close a branch is never an easy one. However, customers are increasingly using alternatives to branches to do their banking. As a result, we are seeing a sustained fall in branch visits across the UK.

“This is reflected at the University of East Anglia (UEA) branch where there has been a 12 per cent reduction in counter transactions in the two years to March 2020. In addition, 95 per cent of our customers at the branch are also using different ways to bank.

“We will work with our customers and provide alternative options to ensure they can continue to manage their money and receive financial expertise when required.”

The closure will not, however, leave the campus completely devoid of ATMs, with the two adjacent machines unassociated with the branch and therefore set to remain.

The spokesman added that currently, only 22 people use the branch exclusively for their banking, with all other customers also making use of online services.

Staff members working within the branch will be offered positions at other branches, with the spokesman insisting that no redundancies would be made as a result of the branch's closure.

The bank will close permanently on Thursday, February 18 and is one of a range of banks due to be closed this year.