A DERBYSHIRE village is set to lose its branch of a bank because of a fall in the number of people using it.
RBS NatWest has confirmed that its Duffield branch will close on January 7 because the number of transactions it handles has fallen by 24% over the last few years.
The bank said that, on average, only 26 customers use the branch on a weekly basis. RBS NatWest has blamed changes in the way people bank. Since 2010, it has seen branch network activity fall by 30%, while the number of people banking online or via mobile devices has grown by more than 200%.
When the branch closes, RBS NatWest customers in Duffield will have to travel almost three miles to a branch in Belper. The bank is also putting an agreement in place with the local Post Office, where customers can withdraw cash, check balances and make deposits free of charge.
It is not known yet whether staff at the branch will be made redundant or will be transferred to other areas of the business.
In a statement, the bank said: "We've advised staff and we're writing to our customers to make them aware of the closure and the different ways they can still bank with us.
"If customers or local businesses are concerned about how this will impact their banking, they can go into the branch where they can discuss it with staff."
