More than 100 bank branches are slated for closure in 2026 as the trend of moving away from physical locations on the high street accelerates.
This year has already seen fixed closure dates for 73 branches of major banks such as Lloyds, NatWest, Santander, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland. An additional 29 branches have announced closure plans without finalizing dates yet, bringing the total closures to 102. Lloyds is at the forefront with 40 branches nearing closure or awaiting finalization.
Santander, Bank of Scotland, Halifax, and NatWest are also set to close 18, 17, 15, and 7 branches respectively. The decisions by Lloyds and Santander to close branches last year were attributed to the shift of customers towards mobile banking services over in-person visits.
By the end of this month, 35 branches will have disappeared from high streets, with two more closures expected in February and an additional 23 in March. The remaining closures are scheduled for July and October or are yet to be determined. Cornwall is particularly impacted by major bank closures, with four branches scheduled to shut this year and two more awaiting closure dates.
Last year saw 13 branch closures, with six in 2024, 14 in 2023, and six in 2022, totaling 45 lost branches. Scotland’s Highland council area is also facing the closure of six banks this year, including two without announced dates.
In total, Scotland will lose 20 banks, Wales five, and Northern Ireland one. Among the 76 closures in England, the South East and South West are most affected, with 17 branches closing in each region.
Since February 2022, major banking groups have committed to assessing the impact of every closure, resulting in the closure or planned closure of 2,065 branches. The LINK initiative was established to ensure that vulnerable customers and small businesses are not left behind in the transition to digital and virtual banking, with banking hubs or free ATMs set up in communities left without local banks.
Nick Quin, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at LINK, highlighted the increasing trend of digital banking and emphasized the importance of protecting the cash infrastructure for those still reliant on it. Gareth Oakley, CEO of Cash Access UK, noted the changing banking landscape and the opening of more banking hubs to cater to customers’ needs, along with the introduction of new cash solutions for businesses and consumers.