HSBC Bank to Close in Henley
HSBC have announced today that 114 of their branches are closing including the one in Henley next August (2023).
This will be last of the banks to close; Lloyds closed in October 2021, Barclays closed in March this year, Nat West announced in October that they would close the Henley branch in February 2023.
The Barclays building on Hart Street has planning permission to change it to Class E (shop, restaurant or cafe). Barclays offer a service at d:two on a Monday and Thursday mornings. You can book an appointment here
A prior approval notification has been submitted to add an additional ground floor flat to the Lloyds Bank branch on Reading Road and a change of use to Class E shop. Last week the Henley Town Council Planning Committee expressed concern regarding highways due to the additional pressure on parking in this location. This is especially in view of the known discrepancy between the number of residents parking spaces available and the number of residents parking permits that have been issued.
A planning application to remove the existing signage, external ATMs, Nightsafe Bezel has been submitted for the Nat West Branch in Market Place and making good where removals affect the building. Removal of non-original internal signage, fixtures, fittings,
furniture, and equipment relating to the operation of this retail bank. HTC Planning Committee recommended approval subject to retention of the appearance of the original building.
The last bank to close in Henley next year is very disappointing. In current economic times, more and more cash will be used as a means of budgeting. I cannot understand why either HSBC or NatWest building isn’t converted into a banking hub represented by each major bank so customers can still transact on their accounts, it woukd only require 2 members of staff to run each individual hub. Maybe our Twon Councillors should consider negotiating with the banks and do something before Henley loses all banking service. Finally, the Post Office are about to make lots of redundancies currently they act for those Banks who have closed branches across the country and whilst the Post Iffice do their best the queues caused by normal post office business make it painfull to get any banking transaction done quickly.