Branch hours were cut and now Stratford’s Halifax is set to close
CUSTOMERS have vented their frustration at learning a Stratford bank will close in a few months.
The Halifax branch in Bridge Street is due to shut on 22nd January 2025.
The decision comes against a backdrop of a more customers switching to online banking.
Lloyds Banking Group, which owns Halifax, says branch transactions at the branch tumbled more than 66 per cent between 2019 and 2024.
And three-quarters of personal customers now use other ways of banking such as mobile, internet or phone.
Bosses say they will contact customers to highlight options – such as the Post Office in Henley Street and 11 free-to-use ATMs within a quarter of a mile of the closing branch.
In the run-up to the closure, they say staff will offer support and guidance on other ways customers can bank with the Halifax.
And after the branch has shut, a Halifax ‘community banker’ will visit Stratford in temporary pop-up sessions offering “face-to-face targeted support”.
But Halifax customer and Wellesbourne resident John Morgan said: “They are looking for excuses to justify a decision they have already made and trotting out the standard script.
“It used to be possible to speak to a financial advisor, face-to-face, which is the best way for customers to have a dialogue with staff and get a better understanding.
“The last two times I have asked for this, I was told, they only offer a phone call or an online meeting.
“It destroys the customer-first approach.”
Mr Morgan pointed out opening times have been cut, so the branch now closes at 2pm from Monday to Friday, with no Saturday opening.
He added: “Customers are being told they can still go to Leamington or Redditch branches, which is totally unrealistic, so I am forced to seek an alternative provider.”
A Halifax spokesperson said: “As many customers now choose to bank through their mobile app or online, visits to our Stratford branch have fallen over recent years.
“The local Post Office offers everyday banking, with cash also available at close by, free-to-use ATMs.
“Customers can also manage their money through our mobile banking apps, online, by calling us or speaking to a community banker.”
Banks and building societies still with a branch in Stratford include: HSBC, Barclays, NatWest, Santander, Lloyds, Coventry BS and Nationwide.
As reported by the Herald last month, the last bank in Alcester is to close next year. Lloyds made the announcement just weeks after completing long-awaited disabled access work on the building at the corner of Bleachfield Street and Stratford Road. The closure is due to take place on 25th June 2025.
