7 days ago
Santander is closing 14 UK banks this month – full list of high streets affected
SANTANDER is set to shut 14 branches this August in a sweeping high street retrenchment, as the bank continues to streamline its operations.
The closures affect locations across England, Northern Ireland and Wales, following a strategy announced in March to close 95 branches and reduce hours at another 50.
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Once finished, Santander will operate just 290 full-service branches nationwide.
Customers are being urged to switch to mobile or online banking, or to use remaining nearby sites.
Santander cut more that 2,000 jobs earlier this year as part of this cost-cutting and digital transformation effort.
In recent weeks Santander has also begun scrapping full counter services at five branches and turning others into Work Cafes with coworking space or event areas, reflecting its shift toward digital customer service models.
Rivals also cutting back on branches
Other UK banks are making similar moves.
Lloyds Banking Group, which includes Lloyds Bank, Halifax and Bank of Scotland, recently announced 10 more closures in July and will shutter a total of 207 branches in 2025, with more than 250 scheduled by March 2026.
The group is supporting customers with digital setup and alternative services including Post Office access and banking hubs.
NatWest Group is also pressing ahead, with plans to close 55 branches from September 2025 to February 2026.
It has already shuttered hundreds of branches this year as part of a wider network shrinkage that has seen over 1,400 closures since 2015.
Despite this, the group says it will invest over £20 million upgrading its remaining branches and supporting vulnerable customers via alternative services.
NatWest to close 53 bank branches in fresh blow to UK high street – see if your local is affected
Barclays, having closed 1,236 branches since 2015, has paused further closures for 2025 and 2026.
At its Annual General Meeting its CEO confirmed it will reassess longer‑term plans afterwards.
The bank and others are also expanding community banking hubs, super ATMs and mobile vans to fill gaps left on the high street.
Millions still depend on branches
The wave of closures across the sector reflects a longer-term trend.
More than 6,300 UK bank branches have shut since 2015.
Yet despite the rapid growth in online banking, around 13 million people still use branches regularly — and approximately 3.3 million people have never used online banking at all.
Campaigners say these figures show the need for more support, especially for older customers and those in rural areas who risk being left behind.
Industry analysts say banks are being forced to strike a difficult balance between innovation and inclusion.
While digital services offer convenience and efficiency, there are growing concerns that rapid closures are outpacing support measures — and putting vulnerable groups at risk of financial exclusion.
These trends mirror long-term statistics: over 6,300 branches across the UK have closed since 2015, yet more than 13 million people still rely on physical branches, with around 3.3 million having never used online banking.
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