More than 100 bank branches are expected to shut down 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. An additional 29 branches have announced closure plans without a set final date, bringing the total closures to 102. Lloyds leads with 40 branches nearing closure or awaiting finalization.
Santander, Bank of Scotland, Halifax, and NatWest are also part of the closures, with 18, 17, 15, and 7 branches respectively set to close. The decision to close branches was attributed to the increasing shift of customers towards mobile banking services rather than in-person visits.
By the end of this month, 35 branches will have closed, with two more closures in February and 23 in March. The remaining closures are scheduled for July and October or are pending confirmation. Cornwall is among the areas most impacted by bank closures, with four closures confirmed and two more pending closure dates.
Last year saw 13 branch closures, with six in 2024, 14 in 2023, and six in 2022, totaling 45 closures. Scotland’s Highland council area is also facing potential closure of six banks, including two without announced dates. Scotland is set to lose 20 banks, while Wales and Northern Ireland will lose five and one, respectively. In England, the South East and South West regions are the most affected, with 17 branch closures in each.
Since February 2022, major banking groups have been under a voluntary agreement to assess the impact of closures. A total of 2,065 branches have either closed or announced closure plans since then. The LINK initiative oversees each closure to ensure access to banking services for vulnerable customers and small businesses.
When local communities are left without a bank, banking hubs or free ATMs are established to bridge the gap. The shift towards digital banking has led to the opening of more banking hubs to cater to those who still rely on cash services. Gareth Oakley, CEO of Cash Access UK, highlighted the importance of these hubs in providing convenient access to banking services for customers across different banks in one location.
