‘Disgusting’ as major high street banks to shut 29 branches in days ahead of 249 closing for good this year

A TOTAL of 29 bank branches are set to close their doors in the coming days.

Several locations will pull down their shutters in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland in a blow to customers.

It comes after 249 bank branches have been marked for closure so far this year, with dozens shutting already in 2024.

Customers have reacted to the news of their local branches closing in the coming months.

One social media user branded the closures as “disgusting” while another said there will be “nothing left in any town”.

The big-name lenders shutting doors just in February alone are staples on the UK high street.

Barclays is shutting seven branches while Lloyds is closing one and the Bank of Scotland (BoS) will be shuttering three, according to LINK which keeps track of any planned branch closures across the UK.

Meanwhile, two Halifax branches will close and NatWest will shut 12.

Ulster Bank will also be closing up shop in four locations.

Hundreds of building societies and bank branches closed their doors for good over the past year.

Most recently, Barclays announced it will be shuttering 16 sites in England, three in Wales and three in Scotland as soon as May.

Plus, Lloyds Banking Group said it is cutting about 1,600 jobs across its branch network, as part of an ongoing shift towards online banking.

Customers are increasingly turning to online banking to manage their finances while banks and building societies look for ways to cut costs.

Here is the full list of banks shutting for good in the next two weeks, and their closure dates.

Barclays

• 16 Vaughan Street, Llanelli, Wales – 22/02/2024
• 43 High Street Sheringham, England – 21/02/2024
• 130 George Lane, South Woodford, England – 23/02/2024
• 27/29 Church Street, Coleraine, Northern Ireland – 23/02/2024
• 22 The Borough, Farnham, England – 21/02/2024
• 2 Market Place, Cannock, England – 22/02/2024
• 197 Shenley Road, Borehamwood, England – 21/02/2024

NatWest

• 1 Water Lane, Bakewell, England – 22/02/2024
• 314 Chiswick High Road, London, England – 20/02/2024
• 151 New Line, Bradford, England – 21/02/2024
• 2 Greenwich Church Street, Greenwich, England – 22/02/2024
• 262 Marine Road Central, Morecambe, England – 28/02/2024
• 34 Moor Street, Ormskirk, England – 27/02/2024
• 1 Taff Street, Pontypridd, Wales – 29/02/2024
• 5 High Street East, Redcar, England – 20/02/2024
• 159 High Street, Rickmansworth, England – 29/02/2024
• 10 Victoria Road, Surbiton, England – 21/02/2024
• 10 High Street, Wednesfield, England – 28/02/2024
• 12 Station Parade, London, England – 27/02/2024

Lloyds

• 308-312 Chiswick High Road, London, England – 19/02/2024

Halifax

• 13 Market Jew Street, Penzance, England – 20/02/2024
• 131-133 Princes Street, Edinburgh, Scotland – 26/02/2024

Bank of Scotland

• Main Street, Tarbert, Isle Of Harris, Scotland – 22/02/2024
• Lochmaddy, Isle Of North Uist, Scotland – 26/02/2024
• 42 Stuart Street, Millport, Scotland – 20/02/2024

Ulster Bank

• 1a Main Street, Ballynahinch, Northern Ireland – 28/02/2024
• 1-2 Kings Square, Belfast, Northern Ireland – 21/02/2024
• 356-369 Ormeau Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland – 20/02/2024
• 29 Clooney Terrace, Waterside, Northern Ireland – 27/02/2024

What to do if your local bank branch closes

The vast majority of banking customers are moving online and don’t need a physical branch as much as before.

But any closures can be an issue for others, particularly elderly people in rural areas who don’t have access to the internet.

However, if your local branch is set to close, or has recently, you have some options.

You can carry out most basic banking tasks at your nearest Post Office.

You won’t be able to apply for a loan or open a new bank account at once though.

You can find your nearest Post Office branch by using the locator tool on its website.

Many banks offer a mobile banking service – where they bring a bus to your area offering services you can usually get at a physical branch.

Other banks use buildings such as village halls or libraries to offer mobile banking services.

It’s worth contacting your bank to see what services they have available, and when they might next be in your area.

Meanwhile, a high street bank is to close another 20 branches over the coming months in another huge blow.

Plus, here are the 189 bank branches set to close their doors next year.

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