Barclays is set to shut a further 14 branches in addition to the 55 already planned for closure this year.

“As visits to branches continue to fall, we need to adapt to provide the best service for all our customers,” said a Barclays spokesperson. “Where there is no longer enough demand to support a branch, we maintain an in-person presence though our Barclays Local network, live in over 200 locations, based in libraries, town halls, mobile vans and our new banking pods.”

According to the bank, Barclays Local is the largest network of alternative branch formats in the UK, with a presence in over 200 communities.

Barclays has plans to roll out a further 70 of these local sites by the summer.

The bank added that it supports access to cash through its cashback without purchase service, 24-hour deposit-taking ATMs, and by working alongside the Post Office and Cash Access UK.”

In January, Barclays introduced its new “flexible banking strategy” in which it said it would open at least 10 banking pods following previous announcements for bank closures.

The bank said that the semi-permanent pods provide a “dedicated, private space” in locations such as shopping centres and retail parks and can be re-situated depending on demand.

The new pods come amidst a wave of bank branch closures across the UK.

Which? money editor Jenny Ross warned that not only do bank branch closures make access to cash more difficult, they also "cut vital in-person banking services" which are particularly important for customers who are not ready or able to bank online.

“Schemes introduced by the banking industry to protect these services, such as banking hubs, are a good start in plugging gaps left by the removal of physical branches, but they must be rolled out much more quickly if consumers are to feel their benefits," she said. “Also of concern is the prospect of cash users having to fork out their own money just to make withdrawals."

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