Melton Mowbray bank branch reminds customers it will close permanently today
Customers are reminded that the Melton Mowbray branch of Santander will cease trading from 3pm this afternoon (Wednesday).
It is the latest town centre bank bank to be closed due to many more people preferring to do business with them online.
The Santander branch, which is in Nottingham Street, is one of 44 UK branches the bank earmarked for closure at the start of this year.
Santander say a customer study showed 72 per cent of its Melton customers now use online, mobile or telephone banking services and roughly a third also used another branch.
In a statement the bank said: “We’re aware of the impact of this decision, and will be here for you in person until this branch closes.
"We can offer support and answer any questions, so that you can make an informed decision on alternative ways to bank.”
Their customer study – involving all transactions from January to June 2025 – revealed that 73 personal customers had transacted three times or more and only used the Melton branch.
And no business customers had conducted transactions three times or more times.
Santander advise customers to instead use their nearest other branches, at Loughborough and Grantham, which are both around 16 miles away.
The bank says a Community Banker will eventually be available in Melton once a week but no details have been given on how that would happen.
The closure of Melton’s Santander follows hot on the heels of NatWest closing its High Street branch last September.
The new closure will heighten calls for a banking hub to be set up in the town with other bank branches having closed up in the town in recent years, including Barclays in 2022.
Many older people say they are unable to digital services and some residents say they are not able to easily travel to other towns for alternative banking services.
Towns in Leicestershire and Rutland which have their own banking hubs so far are Syston, Oakham, Market Harborough and Lutterworth, with Ashby to join them in June.
Banks operate from these hubs on a rota basis during the week to ensure customers get at least one day a week to access their own bank’s services.