More than 100 bank branches are scheduled for closure in 2026 as the trend of moving away from traditional high street locations continues rapidly.
This year, closure dates have been confirmed for 73 branches of major banks such as Lloyds, NatWest, Santander, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland. Additionally, 29 branches have announced closure plans without finalizing the dates, bringing the total closures to 102. Lloyds leads with 40 branches nearing closure or awaiting finalization.
Santander, Bank of Scotland, Halifax, and NatWest will see 18, 17, 15, and 7 branches closing, respectively. Last year, Lloyds and Santander initiated numerous closures, citing a shift in customer preference towards mobile banking over in-person visits.
By the end of this month, 35 branches will have closed, with two more in February and 23 in March. The remaining closures are scheduled for July and October or are pending confirmation. Cornwall is experiencing a significant impact from major bank closures, with four closures confirmed and two pending dates.
In the past years, there were 13 closures in 2021, six in 2024, 14 in 2023, and six in 2022, totaling 45 closures. Scotland’s Highland council area is also expected to lose six banks this year, with two yet to announce closure dates.
Scotland is set to lose 20 banks, while Wales and Northern Ireland will lose five and one, respectively. Among the 76 closures in England, the South East and South West regions are most affected, each facing 17 branch closures.
Since February 2022, major banking groups have committed to evaluating the impact of every closure, resulting in a total of 2,065 branches either closed or announced for closure.
The LINK initiative aims to ensure that vulnerable customers and small businesses are not left behind in the transition to digital and virtual banking by establishing banking hubs or free ATMs in communities lacking a local bank.
Nick Quin, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at LINK, highlighted the importance of cash services despite the digital shift, ensuring measures are taken to protect the cash infrastructure for those who rely on it.
Gareth Oakley, CEO of Cash Access UK, emphasized the increase in digital banking but reassured those dependent on cash with the opening of more banking hubs to provide essential services. The hubs cater to customers of major banks in one location, enhancing access to cash services for businesses and consumers.