RESIDENTS in Knutsford and Wilmslow have been saddened to hear the towns’ HSBC branches will be closing next year.

Yesterday, November 30, HSBC announced 114 of it branches across the UK will close from April 2023 in the face of declining footfall.

Knutsford will lose its HSBC branch in Princess Street, just months after the Lloyds Bank branch in the street closed down.

The HSBC branch in Wilmslow is in Bank Square.

And Guardian readers have had their say on Facebook.

One reader commented: “Such a shame for customers who aren’t comfortable with online banking.

“My parents have been customers since 1971 when it was Midland Bank.

“Now in his 80s, my dad is going to have to go to Northwich as he doesn’t have online banking.

“Yes, we have to move with the times, but not everyone is computer savvy.”

More comments included, ‘so sad, the staff are lovely’, and ‘a real shame’.

But Andrew Rogers, principal of Gascoigne Halman Knutsford said while the closures were a sad event, he understood HSBC’S decision as town centres continue to evolve.

Knutsford Guardian: Andrew Rogers, principal of Gascoigne Halman KnutsfordAndrew Rogers, principal of Gascoigne Halman Knutsford (Image: Gascoigne Halman Knutsford)

He said: “While it’s always sad to see a familiar face leaving the high street, I understand HSBC’s decision based on the changes in the way people bank.

“Our Knutsford office is situated opposite HSBC on Princess Street and footfall into the bank has been low for a long time.

“We are, however, fortunate in Cheshire that both Knutsford and Wilmslow are relatively wealthy towns where commercial voids appear to be snapped up swiftly. 

“Our town centres are evolving but we view this very much as a great opportunity to reimagine them to better serve our modern lifestyles.

“The recent rise in coffee shops and other communal venues indicate that social spaces are in high demand as are boutique independent retailers.

“This is what continues to bring people into our town centres.”