Santander to shut in Felixstowe as Bury St Edmunds, Lowestoft and Sudbury banks set for reduced opening hours

Another bank is set to shut in Felixstowe in a further blow to the high street as branches across Suffolk prepare for reduced opening hours.

Santander has announced that it will close its branch in Hamilton Road at 3pm on July 16 to cut costs as more customers switch to online banking.

This forms part of wider plans to shut 95 banks, putting 750 jobs at risk.

In a leaflet sent to customers, Santander said 94 per cent of customers in Felixstowe accessed their bank through a ‘variety of means’, including 74 per cent using online or telephone services.

In addition, 26 per cent of customers used another Santander branch.

The bank has made its plans known to cash machine network LINK, which could lead to a banking hub being set up in the town.

It is the second bank to announce its closure in Felixstowe this year, with Halifax set to shut its doors on June 2.

The nearest Santander branch is in Carr Street, Ipswich.

In addition, three Suffolk towns will see their Santander outlets operate at reduced hours from June 30.

The Bury St Edmunds branch, in Abbeygate Street, will be open from 9.30am to 3pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Lowestoft’s bank, in London Road North, will operate from 9.30am to 3pm on Tuesday and Thursday and 9.30am to 12.30pm on Saturday.

Finally, Sudbury’s branch, in Old Market Place, will welcome customers from 9.30am to 3pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.