FIVE Dorset high streets and one in the New Forest will lose their HSBC bank next year under a plan to close 114 branches across the country.

The bank says footfall at many branches is at an all-time low and that 97.5 per cent of transactions are now done digitally.

The Dorset branches earmarked for closure are:

  • Blandford, April 18
  • Shaftesbury, April 25
  • Bridport, May 23
  • Christchurch, July 25
  • Dorchester, August 22

In Hampshire, New Milton will lose its branch on June 27.

HSBC said it would invest tens of millions of pounds in improving its remaining branches, with Bournemouth due for a refurbishment in the first half of the year.

Jackie Uhi, HSBC UK’s managing director of UK distribution, said: “People are changing the way they bank and footfall in many branches is at an all-time low, with no signs of it returning. Banking remotely is becoming the norm for the vast majority of us. Not only can we do it anywhere at any time of day or night, many more things can be done at the customers’ convenience and don’t rely on a branch visit.

“Branches will continue to play an important role in day-to-day banking, while providing specialist face-to-face support in moments that matter. In addition to our branch network, customers can access services through the Post Office network, our Community Pop-ups and soon-to-come Banking Hubs, alongside Live Chat, social media and through telephone banking.

“The decision to close a branch is never easy or taken lightly, especially if we are the last branch in an area, so we’ve invested heavily in our ‘post-closure’ strategy, including providing free tablet devices to selected branch customers who do not already have a device to bank digitally, alongside one-to-one coaching to help them migrate to digital banking.

“Our commitment to supporting the UK’s new banking hubs and other community access to cash initiatives under development remains steadfast and we look forward to significant and quicker progress being made in 2023, now much of the groundwork for setting up Cash Access UK Ltd, has been done.”

The bank it has provided 1,500 free Samsung tablets since 2021 for customers who had no access to digital banking, and educated 10,750 customers on how to bank online. It arranged and attended more than 200 community “pop-up events” in in 2022 to support customers where banks may be closing.