NATWEST’s town centre self-service branch is to close next year.

The unit, in Regent Street, will stop operating from March 17. Factors including a nationwide 30 per cent drop of customers visiting branches and the site’s proximity to the bank’s manned branch in Commercial Road were considered when the bank decided to go ahead with the closure.

“People do their banking where and when it is convenient for them, while online and mobile transactions have grown by over 20 per cent,” said Sarah Binnie, NatWest media relations manager.

“We expect these trends to continue as more and more of our customers bank with us through our mobile app, by online and telephone and through our upgraded ATM network. Our branches are still very important to us and we’ll continue to have one of the largest branch networks in the UK, with 80 per cent of our customers being within a three-mile radius of a branch, and when you include the Post Office network that rises to 90 per cent of our customers being within one mile of a place where they can carry out their everyday banking.”

While customers will no longer will no longer have access to banking services at the Regent Street branch, NatWest will leave an ATM at the site.

Coun Bob Wright (Lab, Central) said that the closure was not surprising and was a sign of new-age banking.

“This is another movement away from on the ground banking which will not sit well with some people.

“I’m also sure people who get buses to the bus station and have to walk to the Commercial Road branch will not be happy,” he said.

“But if this move doesn’t sit well with people I’m sure they’ll consider moving to another bank.”

NatWest customers will be able to carry out services including cash withdrawals, balance checks and making deposits free of charge at the post office next door to the Regent Street base.