A well-known Ryde building is to be decommissioned as its occupier – banking giant Barclays – prepares to move out.
Plans have been submitted, by Barclays Bank, to restore the building housing its Ryde branch to its original condition, after it closes on 4th August.
In May, Barclays revealed 78% of people were exclusively using the branch for banking and 84% of customers chose alternative banking methods with the number of transactions completed over the counter also falling.
If plans submitted to the Isle of Wight Council are passed, the building would be stripped and decommissioned, but existing original features would be left.
The blue writing on the front would be taken down, the ATM machine would be removed and all counters and furniture taken out, whilst the building’s brickwork would be in-filled to match the existing stonework and a section of windows would be repaired.
Internally, work would be carried out in the public spaces in the banking hall.
The documents say the work is intended to involve minimum intervention and to be reversible in the future, ‘allowing the building to evolve and maintain the possibility of new uses or layouts’.
View the plans, 22/0123/FUL, on the council’s planning register. Comments can be submitted until 29th July.
A decline in customers that they have created by closing local branches and forcing people to bank online.
It saves them a lot of money if people bank online,more profit for them.
All about ending cash, slowly, and slyly to not cause uproar.
Then once only a few pounds will be able to be spent at any one time, they will kill off drug money, as even businesses who now launder such, will not be able to use cash above a few pounds, so making accepting such pointless.
Illegal workers, s ex trade and all those working for ‘cash’ whilst on universal credits etc will suffer.
Bring it on I say.
I also suspect the greedy council wouldn’t budge on extortionate rates either.
As said, a decline in customers created by their own actions. As a result it has become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Install banks of self-service machines, reduce the number of manned positions. Plus, during COVID, severely restrict the number of people physically allowed to enter the branch.
Problem is, this leaves ONE Barclays on the Island, in Newport. What are businesses supposed to do with cash takings?!
The banks don’t want cash that costs them money to hold in a safe as everyone is expected to use cards ,phones and pay direct via app etc. This saves staff so more made redundant and no replacements needed. At a guess the island has lost in the region of 200 staff over the last 15 years so a loss of say £5,000,000 a year income on the island.
Halifax has just created another way if you don’t like woke go elsewhere and then the branch closing will be easier!
Sadly it seems the staff in the banks are now trained to encourage you to do everything online, thus creating the downturn in demand and the perfect excuse to close the branch. They are effectively trained to make themselves redundant, although the bank will no doubt argue that staff will be offered alternative employment, most likely on the mainland, great!
Every time I visit the bank they say “you can do that online you know”. Luckily, yes I can do it online but not everyone can.
Like everything nowadays, they couldn’t give a monkeys about people who can’t do things online. The world has changed and not for the better.
They could at least have the common decency to leave the ATM, we are not exactly over supplied with them on this b list Island….
In Ryde, there are alternative Link ATMs at:-
Esplanade station
Sainsbury’s Union St.
Lloyds Union St. (closed some nights to keep the homeless out)
HSBC Union St.
Nationwide Cross St.
NatWest High St.
Behind Northern Co-op Anglsea St.
Mellishes Post Office High St.
Southern Co-op in West street has an internal Link ATM.
The correct Planning Ref would be handy: 22/01023/FUL
What a load of rubbish , decline in customers, always plenty of queues when I’ve gone in , more like harassing customers to use the machines and do on line , they’ve forced themselves out . I’ll just go to post office now . Wonder what the old building will become, a toss up between a second hand shop , nail bar or another hairdresser
My guess is Estate Agents, which will be great, as we don’t have enough of those in Ryde!
I think, if they want more customers they should use more initiatives to attract them, like a trolley dash!