Two Tyrone branches of high street bank Santander to close

TWO branches of the high street bank Santander are set to close in County Tyrone: one in Strabane and the other in Dungannon.

Santander has announced that it plans to close 95 branches throughout the UK, endangering 750 jobs.

The Dungannon branch is set to close its doors in June, with the Strabane branch closing the following month in July. Nine branches across the North are set to close in total, with branches also closing in Armagh, Downpatrick, Larne, Magherafelt and Portadown as well as the two Tyrone banks.

The High Street bank said its customers were increasingly shifting to banking online, and it was aiming to start closing almost a quarter of its branches from June.

As part of the changes, Santander will also reduce hours at 36 branches and remove the front counters from 18 others.

Santander said the changes were due to “a rapid movement of customers choosing to do their banking digitally”.

A spokesperson for Santander said, “Closing a branch is always a very difficult decision, and we spend a great deal of time assessing where and when we do this and how to minimise the impact it may have on our customers.”

Sinn Féin MLA Maolíosa McHugh Sinn Féin has described the announced closure of Santander in Strabane as a serious blow to the local community.

The West Tyrone MLA said, “This represents a severe blow to the local community.

“While the continued shift towards digital banking may be convenient for many, there remain lots of people for whom the lack of physical branches poses severe difficulty.

“My thoughts are particularly with the workers affected by this announcement and their families.

“Santander said that it will work to ensure some customer support and cash services are still available for customers after this branch closes. This might include Community Hubs, Community Bankers or Post Offices.”

The West Tyrone MLA added, “Sinn Féin is requesting a meeting with Santander to press the need to continue to provide the maximum level of services post closure as well as seeking assurances regarding the future of workers at the branch.”