Barclay's closes 'popular' bank on Ascot High Street

Barclay’s has confirmed that it’s branch located on Ascot High Street will permanently shut to customers on November 3 2022.

Mihal Sohi, Ascot resident and Ascot Hardware and Homeware employee, said: “It’s a shame that Barclay’s is going to be closing because it’s normally very busy.

“From what I’ve seen there are always people queuing outside their doors in the morning waiting for it to open.

“It means people are going to have to travel further if they want to access certain services about their banking. This means more time spent on the road and more fuel wasted on travelling.”

Barclay’s bank has said: “We’ll be working with the local community to understand the impact of closing this branch. Once we’ve gathered feedback, we’ll publish the results in a booklet called ‘Branch closure feedback’, which you can get from your branch or online

Mihal has said that having a bank on the high street brings people into the town and is therefore beneficial for local businesses.

“It keeps the town alive,” he added.

There have been businesses throughout Ascot however that have said that the closure of the bank will not make a great impact on the community.

The owner of The Little Flower Pot florist in Sunninghill said: “Most businesses do their banking online now so for a lot of people if may not make a difference.

“However, it will be hard for older residents who may not know how to use the online banking.”

Barclay’s added: “We want to reassure you that we’re here to help. We’ll stay in your community and you’ll be able to talk to us in person.

“We’re finalising the details of where we’ll be based, and when, to support you with your banking, and we‘ll share the details locally once confirmed.

“We’ll be available to help you with things like day-to-day banking queries and helping you manage your money, though there won’t be access to cash at this site.