Plans to close last bank in Seahouses branded 'devastating'

Barclays intends to close its branch in Seahouses – along with another branch in Alnwick – in July.

It means residents and businesses will have to travel to Berwick if they need to use any of the bank’s facilities – a distance of more than 22 miles.

The next nearest branch is in Cramlington – almost 45 miles away.

Coun Guy Renner-Thompson, Bamburgh ward member on Northumberland County Council, said: “This is devastating news for us. Barclays is the last branch in the area – there’s no other banks in that whole coastal strip – no others in Seahouses, Belford, or even Wooler.

“It’s the last rural bank in north Northumberland. It’s a massive blow to the local community. If it was just Seahouses it wouldn’t be so bad, but it is Alnwick as well.”

He continued: “A lot of the businesses in the village get a lot of cash in through the summer, they need somewhere to put that in. We also have an elderly population and many people don’t use online banking.

“There is nothing the council can do – Barclays is a private business – but I think people need to vote with their feet and their money. The bank is a vital lifeline for people in this rural area and we must make our feelings heard by Barclays.”

Coun Renner-Thompson did point out that the village’s post office would remain open and provide services such as pension withdrawals.

Barclays said those who need face-to-face support can visit one of its 200 pop-up sites across the UK. Barclays also has ten “banking pods” which are semi-permanent sites that can be moved to different towns and locations based on demand.

A Barclays spokesman said: “As visits to branches continue to fall, we need to adapt to provide the best service for all our customers. Where there is no longer enough demand to support a branch, we maintain an in-person presence through our Barclays Local network, live in over 200 locations, based in libraries, town halls, mobile vans and our new banking pods.”