Halifax branch in Margate to be shut

Halifax Margate (Image google maps)

Halifax bank in Margate will close on July 18 according to a Lloyds Banking Group closure list.

The High Street branch is among 60 Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland closures that have been announced by Lloyds Banking Group.

A review of the branch says: “Our customers’ needs are changing. Almost 18 million people now bank with us through Online Banking and over 13 million use Mobile Banking.

“Branches will remain vital in meeting customers’ needs but we must continually review our network to make sure we have branches in locations where customers need and use them the most. “As a result, we’ve made the difficult decision to close this branch because customers are using it less often. In addition the majority of customers are also using alternative ways to ban.

“You can use any of our branches and our nearest alternative is the Ramsgate branch. You can also use a Post Office® for your everyday banking.”

The review says 75 customers used the branch regularly in 12 months to November 2021 but 43% of customers using Margate branch have also used other Halifax branches, 77% of customers using Margate branch have also used other Halifax Branches, Online Banking or Telephone Banking and 27% of customers using Margate branch have also used the Post Office.

A statement says: “We’re constantly transforming our branch network as we reflect changing customer demand for branch transactions and services. Sometimes this will mean we make the difficult decisions to permanently close a branch.

“When deciding to close a branch, we take a number of factors into account to help us understand the impact on our customers and the local community – including ways for customers to continue to access banking services. For all permanent closure decisions, we follow the UK Finance Access to Banking Standard.”

22 Comments

  1. Perhaps a joint venture community bank, located at Westwood Cross, which the big banks could facilitate, so all banking needs are accounted for in one central prime location. This would both be a cost saving for the main banks and building societies and more convenient for Thanet customers.

    • Unfortunately banks are not in every locality like they used to be, so banks on regular bus routes or with adequate parking facilities is an option worth considering for those who need to visit a bank. I will be interested to read alternative solutions which could realistically implemented as unfortunately this trend of closing local banks and building societies will continue.

    • The issue is Paul…. That the person is just offering something that is better than “all banks shutting up shop” if you’d prefer the current route there will be no banks for the elderly anyway.

      It’s clear the Thanet high street will be void of all banks within a few years.

      Banks will do nothing to help whatever they do because they have no pressure to do so.

      I don’t disagree with your sentiment at all. But at this stage something is better than nothing. More and more big banks and big business are reaping the freedom they are granted in this country to make unlimited profits no matter how they operate

      • With growing online banking resulting in reduced footfall, banks as we know them will continue to disappear from our high streets. However another alternative such as opening sub branches within large retailers, may also be an option for areas that have lost their local banks Once again these facilities could be shared between banks or the post office who pioneered this several years ago. Nobody wants to travel miles just to pay in cash or see a human being face to face and I believe banks have a duty to provide an adequate service to the community they serve. It’s just a matter of refocusing the service they offer.

  2. We bailed out the banks , this how they repay us, putting profit before people, including those who don’t have internet banking

  3. If Halifax is part of Lloyds Banking Group the obvious solution would be that part of the Lloyds Bank in The Centre is used by Halifax.

    • Yes it makes sense, but they don’t want to make it easy on their customers do they? This is about forcing people to bank online. They don’t care if they lose a few customers as they are not customer orientated, just like the others who have left the High Streets before them.

  4. 2010 cash was 56% of UK payments and 2020 it was 17%. Cheques 1050million to 185million over the same time. Obviously a massive impact on the demand for face to face banking. You can even pay cheques in on a phone app now

    • Well yes, cash has effectively been killed off-as was the plan for a long time with the panicdemic being the ideal way to do it, in case anybody caught it from the bank notes-which as we now know is about as likely as a plane falling on your head.

      • Thankfully cash hasn’t been killed off. It’s alive and well in Ramsgate and there are still plenty of places that take cash only. You can still walk around without a smartphone or contactless card and be treated like a normal human being. We just need to keep using the ATMs to prove to the fat cats that these facilities are as vital as ever.

  5. A statement for every bank says: “We’re constantly transforming our profits to our executives and shareholders-often by laundering money for South American drug cartels & any resulting fine is paid by you the plebs, closing branches & sacking hard working staff, as we reflect how little we give a stuff about the elderly, disabled or anybody who isn’t a millionaire really. Always this will mean we make the easy decision to permanently close a branch & put as many counter/front line staff out of work as possible & ship our call centres to Lahore & Mumbai.

    • and add:
      But we will still require customers to trek to a branch and personally present for identification purposes, face to face interviews and if you are not able to make transactions online.
      A breach of equality legislation, at least?

    • That’s true of standard Charter who were fined 1.3b for money laundering. Yet standard Charter are seen to be good and proper bank that can be a shirt sponsor of a premier football team !

    • I’ve often thought that it would make excellent commercial sense for ONE bank to return to towns that currently have no banks. That way (say) the people of Broadstairs or Birchington would be far likely to sign up to that bank.

      • Has somebody stolen Peter Checksfield’s identity? Or was yesterday a special occasion when he decided to say something agreeable?

          • That’s rubbish! On 31st April I will be spending the entire day praising Keir Starmer’s image consultants, thanking the banks for closing all their branches, congratulating KCC for continually closing the road tunnel at Ramsgate Port, worshipping TDC for selling our family silver; and I will be celebrating the demise of fully staffed railway stations.

  6. I wouldnt step foot in ramsgate Town thank you Halifax. I will be asked for a pound about 5 times en route and listen to as many arguments on the way. Awful place

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