Honiton is to lose its HSBC bank next year as part of a nationwide programme of branch closures.

Around the UK, 114 branches will shut down between April and August. The Honiton branch will close on June 13 2023.

HSBC said the closures are in response to a steep decline in footfall at its branches since the Covid pandemic, with some serving fewer than 250 people a week. Meanwhile usage of its mobile app has almost tripled since 2017 and the vast majority of transactions are completed digitally.

The bank's head office has said it hopes to redeploy all its employees at affected branches to other roles within HSBC, either to other branches or to a different position.

HSBC's managing director of UK distribution Jackie Uhi said: “People are changing the way they bank and footfall in many branches is at an all-time low, with no signs of it returning.

“The decision to close a branch is never easy or taken lightly, especially if we are the last branch in an area, so we’ve invested heavily in our ‘post closure’ strategy, including providing free tablet devices to selected branch customers who do not already have a device to bank digitally, alongside one-to-one coaching to help them migrate to digital banking."

The MP for Tiverton and Honiton, Richard Foord, has criticised the decision to close the Honiton branch.

He said: “Rural communities like ours have seen bank branches in steady retreat for years now. As these local facilities fall away, more people and businesses are left high and dry, with no access to services. 

“This new announcement means HSBC customers will not have access to a single branch in East Devon, meaning they have no choice but to travel great distances at their own expense to access their bank. 

“The rise of online services has changed the way some people do their banking, but this is not universal – particularly for older residents who still rely on physical facilities and human interaction. 

“We cannot allow people to be cut off from accessing their own money. We need action to address this crisis before the final few bank branches also shut up shop for good. 

“When Lloyds Bank closed in Axminster, people there were told they would have a new ‘Banking Hub’, yet to date we’ve seen no action to deliver on this. 

“It’s clear we need proper community banking hubs, working in tandem with the Post Office, to ensure everyone can access proper banking services – regardless of who they bank with. 

“I will be writing to the Local Government Minister to urge the Government to step in, help establish these hubs, and protect people’s access to cash.”