Exact dates 5 Kent NatWest branches will close as footfall plummets

30 Mar 2024

Kent Live

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Exact dates 5 Kent NatWest branches will close as footfall plummets

A total of 47 branches are set to close across the UK

High streets across Kent are set to face another considerable blow as NatWest has announced a new wave of branch closures for 2024. In total, the county is set to lose a further five sites as trends around banking continue to ‘change dramatically’.

NatWest has confirmed that across the UK, 47 branches will face the axe largely thanks to the continued decline in footfall and rising popularity of mobile and online banking. This brings the total number of bank branches lost across the nation over the last two years to a staggering 1,325.

A spokesperson for NatWest added: “Closing a branch is a decision we take very seriously. We know it can affect those less confident with alternatives we offer. We'll always work hard to guide and support you through the changes and find the best way to serve you from now on.”

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Here in Kent, the branches set to close later this year are Dover, Gravesend, Paddock Wood, Rainham and Ramsgate. This follows the loss of the site in Strood which closed at the start of March this year.

Between 2019 and 2023, the national bank chain reports a 60 per cent reduction in the average number of counter transactions across its branches. Meanwhile, the number of customers using mobile apps increased by 49 per cent in the same period.

NatWest reports that in 2023, its Rainham branch saw just two personal customers using the bank on a weekly basis, while Gravesend recorded only six in the same period. At all of the locations set close, more than 70 per cent of personal shoppers that used the branch also chose to use online or mobile banking. See below for further details on the upcoming Kent NatWest closures.

Kent NatWest branches to close in 2024

Paddock Wood NatWest closure date

NatWest Paddock Wood (Image: Google Maps)

Address: Station Road, TN12 6EP

Closure date: Thursday, July 11 2024

Number of weekly personal customers in 2023: 8

Nearest branches after closure:

NatWest Tunbridge Wells (7.68 miles) - 89 Mount Pleasant Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 1QJ
NatWest Maidstone (10.78 miles) - 3 High Street, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1HJ
NatWest Sevenoaks (15.02 miles) - 67 High Street, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 1LA

Dover NatWest closure date

NatWest in Dover (Image: Google Maps)

Address: 25 Market Square, CT16 1NG

Closure date: Tuesday, July 16 2024

Number of weekly personal customers in 2023: 7

Nearest branches after closure:

NatWest Folkestone (10.01 miles) - Europa House, 49 Sandgate Road, Folkestone, CT20 1RU
NatWest Canterbury City Centre (17.17 miles) - 11 The Parade, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2SQ
NatWest Margate (21.9 miles) - 13 Cecil Square, Margate, Kent, CT9 1XY

Rainham NatWest closure date

The NatWest branch in Rainham (Image: Google Maps)

Address: 70 - 74 High Street, ME8 7JH

Closure date: Wednesday, July 24 2024

Number of weekly personal customers in 2023: 2

Nearest branches after closure:

NatWest Chatham (3.86 miles) - 148 High Street, Chatham, Kent, ME4 4DB
NatWest Sittingbourne (5.79 miles) - 87 High Street, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 4AU
NatWest Maidstone (10.35 miles) - 3 High Street, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1HJ

Ramsgate NatWest closure date

NatWest Ramsgate (Image: Google Maps)

Address: 53 High Street, CT11 9AG

Closure date: Thursday, August 8 2024

Number of weekly personal customers in 2023: 13

Nearest branches after closure:

NatWest Margate (4.24 miles) - 13 Cecil Square, Margate, Kent, CT9 1XY
NatWest Herne Bay (14.19 miles) - 140 High Street, Herne Bay, Kent, CT6 5JX
NatWest Canterbury City Centre (17.07 miles) - 11 The Parade, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2SQ