Danske pulls out of Saintfield

Danske pulls out of Saintfield

14 February 2024

SAINTFIELD’S Danske bank branch is to close on June 7.

The news comes after it was revealed recently that the Ulster Bank is closing branches in Downpatrick and Ballynahinch later this year.

Confirmation that the Saintfield branch will close its doors for the final time in the summer has been criticised by traders, local politicians and the NI Federation of Small Businesses.

But Danske has defended the closure and insists people are changing how they do their banking with many of its customers banking digitally, on the phone or in the Post Office.

The bank said it had to make "difficult decisions" to shut branches that are used less than others.

Saintfield businessman David Kelly labelled the closure of the Main Street branch and three other Danske outlets in other parts of the province as a “major concern”, while the FSB described the decision is a “blow to businesses and consumers”.

It said closures are turning many communities into a banking wasteland, limiting access to cash and shrinking an increasingly fragile free-to-use of the cash machine network.

Mr Kelly said people travel to the Saintfield branch and maybe need to use the cash machine while local people may want to lodge something in their account.

He said while the branch closure for him would make simple things like getting change harder, he had to keep going.

"You have to keep trying but this is just another thing that is going to hinder us. It is actually quite a big deal for us and for everybody who needs to use a bank, never mind small businesses,” he continued.

Mr Kelly said that many customers do not use cashless payment options.

Rowallane councillors Callum Bowsie and Terry Andrews have expressed their disappointment at the closure of the Saintfield branch.

Cllr Bowsie said banks are often the heart of the community and this is certainly the case in Saintfield.

He said he thought the town had escaped the “purge of banks and cash machines”, especially as the branch always seems to be busy.

Cllr Bowsie said while no jobs will be lost as a result of the closure, he and Strangford MLA Michelle McIlveen are seeking a meeting with Danske officials to discuss the move.

“From a historical perspective, it is sad to see the death of such a historic institution. A bank first came to Saintfield in 1865 under the Belfast Banking Company when cashier James Magrath and his family moved from The Manse in Dungannon to be what was probably the town’s first bank manager,” he added.

Cllr Andrews said many people will be disappointed at the loss of Saintfield’s only bank, with the move impacting on individuals and business customers.

“There have been a number of bank closures across the district over recent years and within the next few months the Ulster Bank in nearby Ballynahinch will close for the final time,” he said.

“It is vital that banks to everything they can to ensure customers’ needs continue to be met when their local branch is closed.”

The FSB’s Northern Ireland policy chairman, Alan Lowry, said bank closures further eroded access to banking facilities in towns and will be a blow to businesses and consumers.

“Banks used to be right at the centre of bustling communities across Northern Ireland but, unfortunately, many are a banking wasteland as banks use the cover of ‘changing customer behaviour’ to reinforce profit margins,” he said.

“It is important to note that not only does this announcement include the closure of branches, but also cash machines, further limiting access to cash. This has been repeated all too often across Northern Ireland and beyond.”

Danske Bank's managing director of personal banking, Aisling Press, said the world was changing and how people choose to do their banking was also changing.

“Many of our customers are now using alternative ways to bank with us, like through our digital solutions, banking on the phone or in the Post Office,” she said.

She said that over the past two years, Danske had seen a 25% increase in customer logins to the bank's digital services.

"We have to respond to these changes and a key part of that is reviewing and adapting how we invest in our customer solutions for the future," she continued.

She added that the bank’s decision to close the Saintfield branch wasn’t an easy one, with Danske considering “lots of factors including the customer impact of the closure and alternative services nearby.”