NatWest bank announces closure of its Hartlepool branch as part of 32 nationwide cuts
Hartlepool is set to lose another High Street bank.
NatWest has confirmed that it will be shutting its branch at the junction of York Road and Park Road on Thursday, May 14.
The closure is one of 32 nationwide by the banking giant with its South Shields branch also affected.
NatWest said it will be “proactively contacting vulnerable customers and regular branch users” to explain its decision and to discuss alternative forms of banking.
These will include a NatWest employee being available one day a week at a local banking hub.
Banking services are also available at nearby post offices.
The nearest NatWest branches after the Hartlepool closure will be 13 miles away in Middlesbrough and 18 miles away in Durham.
NatWest said the number of personal customers using the Hartlepool branch for counter transactions had plummeted by 62% between in the six years between October 2019 and October 2025.
Latest figures show that 186 personal customers and 96 business customers use the branch on average every month.
Addressing the cuts on its website, NatWest said: “The way people bank with us has changed dramatically in recent years, with an increased demand for mobile and online services as customers benefit from a faster and easier way to bank.
“While we respond to that demand, we recognise our responsibility to provide customers who feel less able to make use of these services with support for the change.
"That’s why we are communicating with our customers affected by the closure and proactively contacting vulnerable customers and regular branch users.
"We must review our branches and make sure they are in locations where customers use them most.”