Three Peak District banks to close

The Tideswell branch will close on September 23 while the Hathersage and Darley Dale banks will both close on September 3.

The company has said the move has been prompted by a drop in transactions at the branches affected.

For all three branches, an agreement has been reached with the local Post Offices so customers can check their balance, deposit and withdraw funds and business customers can get coinage.

Mobile branches are also to be introduced in Tideswell and Hathersage.

The ATM in Tideswell will remain and there is a free-to-use ATM within a mile of the Hathersage branch. In Darley Dale, there are four free-to-use ATMs within a mile of the branch and the nearest RBS branch is in Matlock, 2.5 miles away.

In a statement, the company said: “We are committed to following the UK government protocol on branch closures, and we have made the decision following careful consideration of a wide range of factors including branch usage and the alternative ways our customers can bank with us locally. “Our customers are increasingly using alternative ways to bank with us such as online and mobile banking. As a result, branch transactions have declined by around 36 per cent since 2010 whilst online and mobile transactions have grown by more than 300 per cent. Only nine per cent of their total transactions are now undertaken in branches in comparison to 25 per cent in 2010.

“We are writing to all of our customers who use the branch, as well as displaying posters in branch to let them know of the closure. Between now and the closure date, we will engage with all of our customers, local businesses and the wider local community to make sure they are aware of the alternative ways of accessing their banking with us in the local area, and to answer any questions they might have.”