Planned closure of Barclays in Alton High Street:
The planned closure of Barclays Alton on 13th August is a blow to customers and to the High Street. It is a reflection of how banking has changed, with few transactions now happening in branches – and something that has happened or is happening in many other towns too. Barclays give their reasons for the Alton closure HERE.
I sought an urgent meeting with Barclays executives to discuss mitigations for affected customers. In our meeting they told me they are talking directly with individual customers, and that branch staff will be contacting anyone that they feel may need additional support.
Using a Post Office for their Barclays transactions will be an alternative for some: there is more information on this via the attachment at the bottom of this page. There is of course the opportunity still to visit nearby branches of Barclays (such as in Farnham, Basingstoke or Petersfield) if there is a need to talk directly with a staff member.
Another option of course is to move to another bank if that may be more convenient. Details on the Current Accounts Switch service are available HERE.
This is a loss too to the High Street. The building is a notable and central part of the Alton townscape. The future usage of the premises will obviously be important, but that is not yet known.
