HSBC customers in Wanstead have been told the branch is to shut its doors permanently in April. The fifteenth, at 2.30pm to be precise.
The closure follows Barclays shutting in 2014 and leaves just the NatWest, Nationwide and Santander with a presence in Wanstead.
The HSBC branch was downgraded to “counter service only” in 2014, with full facilities being provided at the branch in George Lane.
Coffee shop/convenience store/beauty salon?
What the hell is happening to our little High Street? Makes me so mad.
It is not as if the branch is quiet. It is permanently busy. Utter madness.
NAIL BAR!!!
Another bank closing? Ridiculous.
bad news! 🙁 I now have no branch nearby work or home… and I am a business owner often working with cash..I will have to change bank.
Bring in Mary Portas (?)!
We need another nail bar
Oh crap!
Facebook, this is why there should a ‘Don’t like’ option. The local butcher, now the world’s local bank, please not another estate agent!
Little to do with the High St, more to do with banks closing branches everywhere. I work in central London and the’re closing plenty here too.
Internet banking means the demand is too low to justify the costs of keeping branches open.
The towns dying.
@Peter: Starbucks 🙂
Joe Joe Rood
I mourned Barclays for a a short while, but since then I’ve only had to go to South Woodford on a couple of occasions; so on reflection it hasn’t been a great loss.
Whilst they might pee off a few business customers, the HSBC closure will be an irrelevance to most of their profitable ones.
Personally I’m also beginning to find cash an increasing pita.
Nooooooo
World’s local bank my eye!
Dominos or Pizza Hut 💩
Let’s not forget that some people are losing their jobs..
As I see it, people of Wanstead need to accept ‘brand names’ to the High Street before we have more closed stores that open ones.
Closed units on a High Street are more unsightly that open ones. So what if Costa, Tesco and the likes have more than one branch.. At least the area looks ‘open’ keeping house prices stable. You are not forced to shop in them remember.
Of course the snobbery towards brand names goes out the window for Waitrose and M&S..
A lot of negativity on here at times, places get criticism for changing or opening before they have had time to establish themselves.
Gezi Park took a hammering for it’s sign before and it’s decking, however after frequenting the establishment I can safely say the food is fantastic!
Lupollo got a hard time as people were moaning ‘I hope it is not going to have Sports’ (which it did during the Rugby world cup.. any haters?), I hope this… I hope that… However in reality it is a fantastic place to go for excellent Pizza, awesome Beers and it is the most Child Friendly place I have ever visited.
Get behind whoever is willing to spend money on our High Street, they create jobs and keep the area looking nice. We don’t want to make people think it is a ‘Local Place for Local People’ do we.
Here is an idea.. Next time the Market is in town, go and speak to the traders and ask if they want to open up a shop. There are a few butchers who might be interested in replacing the (dirty) one we had.