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NatWest is planning to move its Bristol staff into one building as more employees work from home following the pandemic.

Workers are currently based across two offices at Trinity Quay in the city centre.

The bank said the new “agile workspace”, which will include an auditorium, would see staff from NatWest, Coutts and Lombard join the accelerator hub and digital studio at Trinity Quay 2.

The office reconfiguration will take place in the summer and, according to NatWest, will improve the way the bank collaborates internally and also supports businesses. The investment is also aimed at helping staff achieve a more flexible working week.

“Teams will be better joined up, with businesses and entrepreneurs also benefiting,” NatWest said.

Justin Smith, head of corporate South West and South Wales region, said the move was an important strategic step as the bank looked at ways to improve how it supported customers and staff.

“Our purpose is to champion the potential of people, families and businesses and by empowering our colleagues with an agile workplace setting that matches their needs ensures we are able to do so,” he said.

“Our transition to a greater collaborative and flexible workspace also supports our climate ambitions as we intend to be climate positive with our own operations by 2025."

In May, NatWest opened its first sustainable banking hub in Bristol with hot desks, free wifi and events space for entrepreneurs to use. The new branch, in Broadmead, is the first of its kind for the bank and has been designed to limit its environmental impact.

NatWest, which is sponsoring the UN COP26 climate summit November, has pledged to “at least halve” the climate impact of financing activity by 2030.

It has also investing £6bn in the growth of SMEs, with £4bn of this outside of the º£½ÇÊÓƵ capital in regions like the South West.