Up to 25 new jobs could be created at a new branch of the Metro Bank in Leicester city centre.
As traditional high street banks leave villages, towns and cities in their bid to get customers to bank online, Metro is working on plans to open branches across central and northern England.
It has announced four new branches in the Midlands this year 鈥 in Birmingham High Street, Solihull, Merry Hill and Wolverhampton.
No date has been set for the new Leicester branch 鈥 or 鈥渟tore鈥 as Metro likes to call them 鈥 but it will be based in units currently occupied by Clarks and The Body Shop on a prominent corner of the Haymarket shopping centre, opposite the Clock Tower.
Ian Walters, managing director of retail and business banking at Metro Bank, said: 鈥淎s the revolution in British banking, we鈥檙e excited to be coming to Leicester.
鈥淲e鈥檙e committed to bringing amazing customer service to local residents and businesses in the area.鈥
In the last decade or so the city centre has seen the closure of Barclays, Lloyds TSB, Natwest and Halifax branches, among others.
Leicester City Council refused plans for the new Metro Bank branch in 2017, saying the proposed shopfront would be 鈥榦ut of keeping鈥 with businesses in the Humberstone Gate area.
It also said the design would have an 鈥榦verly dominant impact鈥 on the setting of the Clock Tower, drawing attention away from it.
However Metro Bank appealed the council鈥檚 decision and was granted part permission, part refusal earlier this year.
An image of how the new unit could look was submitted as part of the planning process to Leicester City Council.
Leicester news
In its planning documents Metro Bank said: 鈥淧lanning permission was granted by way of appeal on April 8, 2019 for the amalgamation of the existing units and installation of a new double height glazed shopfront at the site, as well as ATMs.
鈥淭his permission not only allowed for the modernisation of this prominent corner site, but also secured the first Metro Bank in Leicester, creating new jobs in the financial services sector and providing additional banking choice for local people.鈥
Today a bank spokeswoman said: 鈥淥n average, each Metro Bank store creates around 25 new jobs.
鈥淲e do not have a confirmed date at this stage, but will make sure to keep you updated.鈥
Metro鈥檚 new Birmingham branch opens this weekend, bringing with it a 鈥渟even-day-a-week, 362-days-a-year banking experience to the city centre鈥.
The business, which is nine years old, currently has 67 stores across London and the South East.
It said: 鈥淭he banking revolution is also set to reach the North of England towards the end of the year, with new stores opening in Manchester and Liverpool.
鈥淓ach new Metro Bank store creates around 25 new jobs for local people and will combine face-to-face banking with state-of-the-art technology, providing residents and businesses with a customer-focused and convenient banking experience.鈥
Despite its expansion plans, the bank recently reported a sharp drop in first half profits, following a major accounting error, which hit confidence.
Half year pre-tax profits fell to 拢3.4 million from 拢20.8 million a year earlier, the bank said, and it was announced that founder Vernon Hill was being replaced as chairman.
