Dorchester's Halifax is closing this month

This marks the third bank closure in Dorchester in three years

Author: Frankie GoldingPublished 2nd Nov 2022

Customers have been warned that Halifax's Dorchester Branch will be closing later this month on November 22nd.

This marks the third Dorchester bank closure in the last three years, following Santander and TSB who have also shut up shop in the region.

Halifax say this move comes as 69% of their personal customers already use other ways of banking, such as over the phone or internet banking, as well as other branches.

We are told in the run up to the closure, branch staff will be on-hand to offer support and guidance on the ways customers can bank with us.

A Halifax spokesperson said: “Just like many other high street businesses, fewer customers are choosing to visit our branches, as many customers now bank in different ways.

"When the Dorchester branch closes in November, customers can use the local Post Office for everyday banking which is a short walk away, access cash at the many nearby free-to-use ATMs, alongside other ways to bank such as over the phone and online."

Phil Gordon from Dorchester BID told us here at Greatest Hits Radio he is sad to see this closure.

He said: "there is a very large percentage of the population, especially down in the Southwest, that might just about computers, but they don't have smartphones.

"Plus, an awful lot of them aren't confident doing things on the internet.

"So, when a bank decides it's not going to look after those customers anymore, I think it is a very sad day.

"There are times in your life where you just want to sit down and have a personal chat with your bank manager, and nothing online can replace that.

"The banks that are going to be successful in the future are the ones that recognise that there is still a very important role to play in face-to-face meetings.

"Dorchester has a few banks left and I very much hope that we'll keep hold of the ones we have got."

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.