Barclays and Halifax branches in Stamford and Spalding and HSBC in Oakham on the market

Banks - once a staple of our high streets - are quickly disappearing.

High streets are always changing with a continuous rotation of businesses - some of which stand the test of time and others only last a short stint.

Perhaps the biggest shift in recent years is the demise of town centre bank branches.

Bank bosses blame this on an increasing amount of customers using online services rather than visiting a branch face-to-face.

Stamford has lost more than half of its banks in the past six years with just Nationwide, Lloyds and Santander remaining.

The former HSBC building generated ‘a lot of interest’ after the branch closed in May last year and has become a gallery for fine art company Gladwell and Patterson, while the former NatWest is now occupied by a Starbucks coffee shop.

But not all former bank branches have been snapped up.

The former Barclays, a Grade II listed building in Broad Street, Stamford, is available to rent - either as one retail unit or split into two.

The cost of renting the property, which is listed with estate agents Richardson Surveyors, has not been revealed.

For £67,500 a year, a retailer could occupy the former Halifax in High Street, which closed in March.

Rutland became the first county in the country without a high street bank, after Santander, Barclays, NatWest, Lloyds and HSBC all shut their doors. To protect access to cash a banking hub was created.

The bank branches which closed years ago have been given a new lease of life but the buildings vacated most recently remain empty.

Oakham’s HSBC is available to rent for £45,000 a year, through Osprey Property, and last week, a planning application was approved for the former Barclays to be turned into flats.

In Spalding two of the former bank branches are awaiting new tenants - Halifax and Barclays.

Available for £27,000 a year, the Bridge Street building which housed Halifax offers 2,335 sq ft of space across three floors.

The former Barclays in Hall Place has been empty since the banking giant left in May and is available to rent for £67,500 a year.

Grantham’s Angel and Royal Hotel recently bought the Halifax Bank site as part of an expansion plan.

What businesses would you like to see move into the empty buildings? Let us know in the comments.