Barclays has said it will open at least 10 'banking pods’ after recently announcing it would close 15 branches in the spring.

The latest bank branch closures follow an announcement by the bank to close a further 15 sites, with the total number of branch closures expected to reach around 40 by the end of 2023.

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.

Barclays plans to open 70 new ‘Barclays Local’ sites by the end of the year, which include in-person banking support in community locations as well as the banking pods.

Barclays said it will also continue to review its physical sites - including branches, pods and pop-ups - depending on usage, with a “flexible approach enabling the bank to match its presence more closely to local community needs”.

The news comes after plans for nine new shared banking hubs were announced last week.

Banking hubs are a shared banking space on the High Street which offer a counter service operated by the Post Office.

At the hubs, customers of all major banks in the UK–Barclays, Danske Bank, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, Nationwide, NatWest, Santander, TSB, and Virgin Money–can carry out regular cash transactions throughout the working week.

Community bankers at the hubs work on rotation, with a different banking provider available on each day of the week.

Share Story: