An empty bank in Whitley Bay town centre could be given a new lease of life as flats.
279 Whitley Road was formally the home to a branch of HSBC, but it closed its doors for the final time on May 2. The closure was part of a mass closure of 114 branches across the UK.
HSBC stated the closures are a result of the prevalence of online banking making physical banks unnecessary. According to HSBC, nine in ten customers now transact via phone, internet or smartphone whilst 99% of cash withdrawals are made at an ATM.
