Britain’s newest high street bank to open in Brighton

Britain’s first new high street bank for generations – Metro Bank – is to open a branch in Brighton.

The move is expected to create between 20 and 30 jobs and comes as other banks are closing branches.

Metro Bank said that its opening hours would be 8am to 8pm during the week, 8am to 6pm on Saturdays and 11am to 5pm on Sundays.

It has applied for planning permission to use the one-time American Express premises at the top of North Street on the corner of Western Road.

The bank opened its first branch in London in July 2010 and has a dozen high street sites in the capital and the home counties.

The Brighton branch is due to be one of ten to open this year. By 2020 it aims to have more than 200 “stores” – the word that it uses instead of branches.

A bank statement today (Monday 11 June) said: “All stores will continue to be child and dog friendly with balloons and lollies for the kids, customer toilets and baby changing facilities, Magic Money Coin Counting Machines, and dog bowls and dog biscuits for our four-legged friends.

“Metro Bank will also continue its rapid recruitment programme, with the addition of over 300 new positions through the network in 2012.

“Metro Bank is committed to giving employment opportunities to young people in the community of their stores, with over 60 per cent of Metro Bank’s existing team members between the ages of 18 and 30.

“This year Metro Bank will employ almost double their numbers of staff, creating new jobs for hundreds of individuals.”

Craig Donaldson, chief executive of Metro Bank, said that the expansion would continue the company’s “banking revolution” with a “fun, customer-focused and convenient approach to banking”.

Marks and Spencer said last week that it would offer bank accounts to customers, having pulled out of financial services a few years ago. Tesco is also expected to offer current accounts from next year. And Virgin is believed to be preparing to emulate Metro Bank.

Branch closures by the traditional banks predate the credit crunch and have caused concern and sometimes controversy, particularly in the parts of Brighton and Hove furthest from the centre such as Saltdean.