Worthing Barclays closure leaves just one branch remaining in the town

The Goring Road Barclays will close on April 17, following a decline in visitors over the last two years and a shift towards online banking.

Jon Clowes, market director for Barclays, said: “The way customers undertake their banking is changing as people increasingly use online, telephone and mobile devices. At Barclays Goring by Sea branch, customer usage has declined by a fifth (21 per cent) in the last 24 months and four fifths (81 per cent) of our customers now use telephone and online banking, which is why we have taken the difficult decision to close the branch.

"We hope that the availability of our nearby Barclays branch at 1 Chapel Road, Worthing along with our range of digital channels, will help to ease the transition for our customers.”

Worthing's Chapel Road branch is two miles away from the departing Goring Road location - a significant distance for many West Worthing residents who rely on the bank.

A spokesman for Barclays confirmed there would be no job losses from the closure, as staff would be moved to nearby branches.

Customers would receive a letter with guidance, the spokesman said, and the bank would be 'proactively engaging' with local businesses and the wider community to discuss alternative banking methods.

That includes a 'tea and teach' session in the Goring branch for customers who want to explore digital banking.

Customers are also able to undertake everyday transactions at the Post Office, the spokesman added.