An Isle of Wight town centre bank is set to be stripped bare, months after it was announced it would be closing for good.
Natwest in Ryde is to shut in August, but plans have already been submitted to clear the building of all its fittings.
An application submitted to the Isle of Wight Council by building owners The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) seeks permission to remove the external signs, night safe and ATM from the prominent building in St Thomas’ Square.
It is not yet known what the future holds for the building, but documents submitted to the council, on behalf of RBS, by SpaceInvader Design, say it will no longer be used as a bank. Taking out all the banking-related fittings, it said, would make it ready for reoccupation by someone else in a timely manner.
It said vacant buildings can negatively detract from the area so the proposal aims to ensure the building does not begin to dilapidate and can be readily occupied. No date has been given for when the stripping out works could take place, if approved.
It was announced in March the bank would be closing — making it the 3rd in Ryde in a year. The bank blamed a significantly declining footfall and a rise in mobile banking users for the reason it was shutting.
HSBC is also set to close in August and last summer the town’s Barclays branch shut its doors. The Santander branch at the top of the High Street closed in 2019.
You can view the plans, 23/00704/FUL, on the council’s planning register. Comments can be made until 5th June.
Get it demolished, not in keeping with the area!
I always cashes my giro in Ryde, it’s handy cos the bookies is opposite Spoons, I used to use this bank cos it had a ramp for me old mobility scooter!
It would be great if it was demolised and a new building built in the style of the Theatre Royal that stood there before the hideous Natwest building was built.
Would make a nice site for a theatre.
Like the one across the road…. that’s shut?
You could get quite a lot of flats in that space (with no parking of course)- after all, the 1.5 million people they are now importing each year from far off lands need somewhere to stay as they settle into their new taxpayer funded lives courtesy of Whitehall
So right, likely that is what will happen, and we will see them huddled in doorways on a phone with coat with hood pulled up, even if we get a Summer, doing some deal.
How wonderfully enriching the world has been blessed since mobile phone date fell into the hands of those who wouldn’t have otherwise known how to get here with ‘treacherous’ charities set up to aid our Gov allowed destruction of the British race.
I’m sorry? You must be mumbling. I haven’t got a clue what you are on about.
Likely you didn’t understand Animal Farm either then.
Luckily for our Government many of the public are like you.
Well what else will it be but another charity shop in a prime location.
How about the people of the island decide what it should be, maybe a indoor market, a nightclub or something for holiday makers to go when it rains, indoor fun play area
Another charity shop on the Horizon.
Ryde is full of them or overpriced clothes shops along Union Street selling
overpriced tack
.
Why not keep it as a bank. They are badly needed.
Cash is King
Should be listed as a design centrepiece. Revolving turnstile parking, a thing of its age. An iconic design piece.