The last remaining bank in the Bury South area is set to close in six months.

Halifax has announced its Prestwich branch will shut after footfall at the branch has decreased by almost 50 per cent in five years.

The bank said it will close its branch at the Longfield Centre on September 5 as “most customers are now using out mobile app, internet banking or calling us instead".

The closure comes after Natwest closed its Prestwich branch in October last year.

Halifax has reported customer transactions, including total counter interactions and Immediate Deposit Machine (IDM) usage fell by 48 per cent between 2018 and 2023.

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It added that transactions made at its cash machine also dropped by 39 per cent across the same period.

In a statement, Halifax said: “Before we close any branch, we look at how our customers are managing their money and using the branch.

“Most customers are now using our mobile app, internet banking or calling us instead, which means they are using branches, including the Prestwich branch much less. This means we'll be closing Prestwich branch.”

Halifax said its Prestwich branch had 785 regular customers in the six months before November 2023. The majority of these customers were aged 35 to 74.

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Expressing his concern on X, Bury South MP Christian Wakeford said: “I am deeply frustrated to hear that Halifax have taken the regrettable decision to close their branch in Prestwich.

“Halifax was the last remaining bank in Bury South.

“Community banking is the foundation of local enterprise and the bulwark of a resilient high street.”

There is a "Barclays Local" set up at Prestwich Library for banking services, but opening hours are restricted to Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10am to 4.30pm with it being closed on those days from 12.30pm to 1pm.