Nat West Branch in West Norwood – now closed
Nat West bank closed its West Norwood branch at 270 Norwood Road on Friday 26th October and moved its accounts to 54 Streatham High Road SW16 1BZ .
A notice in the bank says the closure is for health & safety of staff and customers. Your local councillors will try to get more details from Nat West on the reasons for closure and what is to happen to the building.
Barclays at 543 Norwood Road SE27 9DW has recently refurbished its premises and seems committed to staying in West Norwood. So many local Nat West customers may move their accounts to Barclays rather than go to Streatham.
The remaining free ATMs ( cash machines) in West Norwood are outside Barclays and outside the Post office in Nettlefold Place SE27 0HX.
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Looks like that section of the High Street will need an intervention; first the Estate Agents at the corner York Road and now the Bank??! I wonder what we’re going to get instead; please not another £1 shop. With the Fire Station across the road due to close too, it’s going to look very dreary for a while…
Tesco have applied to install a cash machine.
I do hope the Councillors will support the planning application.
Nat West didn’t even inform it’s customers it was closing their branch – what bad service.
My own view entirely! I’ve banked at that branch since 1980 and the first I knew of the closure was when I went there on Thursday 8th November to pay a bill. Wasn’t it Natwest who advertised themselves as the ‘caring bank’ or under some other ‘user friendly’ label so beloved of marketing of marketing men with equal sincerity?
Stephen – I completely agree with what you said! However, you need to write to Natwest and tell them that as well. I am encouraging people to write to Natwest, because I believe that RBS, who own Natwest, have got away with far too much over the last few years and need bringing down a peg or two! This is the website with the details of where to write to: http://www.natwest.com/global/contact-us.ashx?channel=personal
Well, Folks, This morning I got a letter from Natwest telling me that my account has been moved to Streatham – just like that! Come back, Tommy Cooper, all is forgiven. Stephen
I agree with Emma Fenelon. What are the real reasons? If it is genuinely that they feared for the health and safety of their staff then can we have a comment from the Police as to who is posing the threat to their staff and why they have decided not to take action? If Nat West have not reported the threats to the police then perhaps we can be told why not?
I since came across an article about the closure here. http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/local/streathamnews/10017748.Historic_bank_branch_shuts_after_attack_on_staff/
I emailed Natwest and they have said that it is normal policy not to write to customers to inform them that a branch is closing. They also stated that the closure of West Norwood was a “business decision” that will not be overturned. I believe we should fight this decision, West Norwood is slowly dying and we need to keep banks here. I believe they closed the branch because it was cheaper than putting in more security. Two weeks before it closed a member of staff told me that the ATM’s were being replaced for new ones and the branch was going to be changed! Another U-turn!
I find it difficult to believe that a high-flying bank like Natwest would close as a result of health and safety reason. This reason is unacceptable.
Personally, I feel the recession is biting hard on them and they have become less profitable and the operational cost could add up, hence the closure. This, of course, would be hard for them to admit in the face of competition.