Major banks closing branches: which branches will cease operations.

Significant closures of well-known bank branches

According to The Sun: Three major banks—Lloyds, Halifax, and NatWest—will close 10 branches this week. The number of physical banking locations continues to dwindle.

These closures are part of a large-scale reduction of branches that has already occurred in many regions of the country this year. Even more closures are planned by 2026.

This October, these banks, along with the Bank of Scotland, will close 97 branches and 45 mobile banking services. Some will close in just a few days.

Since 2015, over 6,400 bank and building society branches have closed, averaging about 53 closures per month, according to consumer analytics agency Which?.

List of bank branch closures

Halifax

• Carmarthen - October 6
• Hayes - October 6
• Southport - October 7
• Kingswood - October 8
• Folkestone - October 9

Lloyds

• Tooting, London - October 8

NatWest

• Stevenage (Queensway) - October 7
• Wellingborough - October 7
• Midsomer Norton (Radstock) - October 8
• Stratford-upon-Avon - October 8

Lloyds Banking Group, which owns Lloyds, Halifax, and the Bank of Scotland, and boasts 28 million customers, announced last month that it will close another 49 branches by 2026.

This includes 26 Lloyds branches, 10 Halifax, and 13 Bank of Scotland.

At the same time, 11 new banking hubs are planned to open, increasing their total number to 244 in the UK, according to LINK ATM network information.

What are banking hubs?

Banking hubs are shared banking spaces that customers of any bank can use for cash withdrawals and deposits, payments, and transactions.

New banking hubs will open at the following addresses:

• Buxton, Derbyshire
• Camborne, Cornwall
• Chepstow, Monmouthshire
• Deal, Kent
• Gorseinon, Swansea
• Grangemouth, Falkirk
• Harborne, West Midlands
• Hawick, Roxburghshire
• Ryde, Isle of Wight
• Stamford, Lincolnshire
• Totton, Hampshire

What services do banking hubs offer?

Banking hubs offer a range of services to compensate for the closure of local branches.

These hubs, managed by the Post Office, allow customers to perform routine transactions such as deposits, withdrawals, and balance inquiries.

Each hub has private booths where customers can discuss more complex banking service issues with their bank staff.

Staff from various banks will be available on a rotational basis to provide customers with access to a broad range of banking services throughout the week.

Additionally, customers can receive advice and support on various financial products and services, including loans, mortgages, and savings.

A representative of Lloyds Banking Group previously stated:

“The way people are banking has changed, with over 21 million customers choosing our apps to manage their money.'

“We’re providing more choice than ever before, bringing together the best in digital convenience with our people.'

“Alongside our app, our customers can use any Lloyds, Halifax, or Bank of Scotland branch, the Post Office, or banking hubs for their everyday banking, and deposit cash at over 30,000 PayPoint locations.”

What to do if your bank is closing?

If your local branch is closing, you can access banking services without needing to travel to another city.

Utilize one of the 11,684 Post Office branches for basic banking services—even though you won’t be able to open new accounts or take out loans or mortgages.

Look for the nearest Post Office branch on the post office.co.uk website or contact your bank for mobile banking services.

These mobile units visit designated locations up to five days a week, except for Christmas and bank holidays.

Some banks also use various buildings, such as village halls or libraries, to offer mobile banking services.

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