High street shift as region's bank branches close

But all that is changing as the sector moves away from the high street.

A report revealed last year that communities across the UK have lost more than 40 per cent of their bank and building society branches since 1989.

The study, by Nottingham University, found that nearly 7,500 branches closed between 1989 and 2012.

The industry said fewer branches were now needed, as many customers had switched to phone or online banking.

Labour leader Ed Miliband last week called for new rules to cap the market share of the "Big Five" banks – HSBC, Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland, Santander and Lloyds. If implemented, his policy could result in more changes, with big high street banks forced to sell off branches to other operators to meet competition rules.

Former bank branches in the region have already taken on new leases of life under different ownership.

Shropshire's bank branches most recently went through a major shake-up in September.

Twenty-six branches in the county were affected as Lloyds TSB was split into two.

Branches in Church Stretton, Ellesmere, Oswestry, Shrewsbury, Telford, Wellington and Whitchurch were turned into TSB branches, along with others in Albrighton near Telford and Teme Street in Tenbury Wells.

Meanwhile, three others in Shrewsbury, and those in Donnington, Shifnal, Madeley, Broseley, Newport, Market Drayton, Malpas, Welshpool, Newtown, Bridgnorth, Cleobury Mortimer, Ludlow, Llandrindod Wells and Leominster were converted into branches of Lloyds.

The change came about after a plan to sell the branches to the Co-op fell through. TSB is due to be floated on the stock market as a separate entity to Lloyds in a move designed to improve consumer choice.

Of the bank branches that have closed their doors entirely in Shropshire, many are now in different use.

In February 2012, Santander shut one of its three Shrewsbury town centre branches in Mardol Head, with the other two buildings located just yards away from it.

The site was taken on by new owners and is now a thriving women's clothes shop called No. 1 Mardol Head.

Two bank branches which have closed in Telford have both been taken on within a few months of their departure.

Telford appears to remain a stronghold for many of the big banks, with the few that have closed belonging to some of the smaller names.

In Madeley the NatWest closed in November 2011, due to declining customer numbers and was taken over less than a year later by TJ's Cafe.

Trina Noonan opened TJ's in October 2012 and said that business is going well, but that the closure of the bank had no effect on her plans necessarily.

She said: "I'd always planned on opening my own business anyway, we saw this space was vacant and we knew Madeley had never had a cafe so I took it on."

She said she had no difficulty in securing the premises despite its previous use.

Despite losing NatWest, Madeley still has its branches of Barclays and Lloyds.

At the time, Councillor Gillian Green campaigned to bring a cafe into the town. She said: "I think Madeley is very fortunate to retain its two main banks in the High Street.

"The decision of NatWest to pull out of Madeley was the decision of NatWest itself.

"At the time of the departure, I did campaign because there was no cafe in Madeley so I agreed with the planning application.

"I am pleased it is not boarded up because it makes the town centre more viable."

In Shifnal, the town's branch of Nationwide Building Society shut its doors in August 2012, despite a petition to save the bank getting more than 800 signatures.

Nationwide bosses announced that the branch would close due to lack of use.

It is now home to independent clothes shop Primrose Hill, which moved into the premises around a year later. Jenny Hill, who owns the business moved into the site from a shop in Victoria Road. She said: "I am so proud that our new premises have been so well received."

But in North Shropshire, the HSBC bank in Ellesmere High Street closed in September 2011. Its closure meant the two members of staff were transferred to other branches and left the town with a Natwest and Lloyds TSB Bank.

Lincoln McMullan, chairman of Ellesmere Chamber of Commerce, said the building had not yet reopened, but believes work is being done in there to convert it into a shop.

Just over the border, the HSBC branch in Glyn Ceiriog closed three years ago and has now become home to a saddlery business, while the firm's Llangollen branch is due to close next month – leaving customers facing a potential 24-mile round trip to their nearest branch in Wrexham.

The HSBC in Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, near Llanfyllin shut in September 2011, and is now used as a dentist practice.