THOUSANDS of customers will see their local bank branch close this month as 53 locations are set to leave the high street forever.
The closures come as major high street banks move more of their banking services online.
Data from the UK’s largest cash machine network, LINK, keeps track of any planned branch closures across the UK.
HSBC will bring down the shutters on 21 of its branches this month and NatWest will close 12 outlets.
Lloyds Bank will shut eight branches and Halifax will close another five.
TSB is also closing seven of its branches for good.
It comes after 23 bank branches have already shut their doors between May 2 and May 5.
Many people, particularly the elderly, still rely on in-person services and the closures will make it more difficult for this demographic to access accessible services.
But there are still a number of ways in which affected customers can access basic banking services without having to venture to the next town.
You can use one of the Post Office’s 11,635 branches to perform basic banking tasks — but not open new bank accounts or take personal loans and mortgages.
Many banks also offer a mobile banking service. This is where your bank brings a bus to your local area that has the services that are usually available at your branch.
You should call up your bank to see if it runs a banking bus and they will be able to tell you where and when it will be parked.
Other banks use buildings such as village halls or libraries to offer mobile banking services.
Banking hubs, which offer traditional shared services, have also been set up in four locations around the UK to help plug the gap — in Brixham, Cambuslang, Cottingham and Rochford.
There are plans to open dozens more hubs across the UK and the ATM provider LINK announced plans for a further eight new locations last month – taking the total number of planned hubs to 47.
How many new banking hubs are planned?
THE first four banking hubs were succesfully piloted last year in Brixham, Cambuslang, Cottingham and Rochford.
Following further branch closures LINK, the UK’s Cash Access and ATM network, has identified a further 47 locations which require banking hubs.
There are 35 banking hubs planned for England in:
- Acton, London
- Ampthill, Bedfordshire
- Axminster, Devon
- Barnoldswick, Lancashire
- Barton, North Lincolnshire
- Belper, Derbyshire
- Buckingham, Buckinghamshire
- Bury Park, Bedfordshire
- Cheadle, Staffordshire
- Clay Cross, Derbyshire
- Downham Market, Norfolk
- Earlestown, Merseyside
- Haslemere, Surrey
- Helston, Cornwall
- Heywood, Rochdale
- Hornsea, East Yorkshire
- Horwich, Bolton
- Knaresborough, Harrogate
- Looe, Cornwall
- Lutterworth, Leicestershire
- Market Rasen, Lincolnshire
- Maryport, Cumbria
- Newton Aycliffe, County Durham
- Oakham, Rutland
- Otley, West Yorkshire
- Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire
- Shirebrook, Derbyshire
- Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex
- Sidmouth, Devon
- Stapleford, Nottinghamshire
- Syston, Leicestershire
- Watton, Norfolk
- Welling, London
- Wellington, Somerset
- Withernsea, East Yorkshire
A single banking hub is planned in Northern Ireland in:
Seven banking hubs are planned for Scotland in:
- Brechin, Angus
- Carluke, South Lanarkshire
- Carnoustie, Angus
- Forres, Moray
- Kilwinning, North Ayrshire
- Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway
- Troon, South Ayrshire
Four banking hubs are planned for Wales in:
- Abergele, Conwy
- Porthcawl, Bridgend
- Prestatyn, Denbighshire
- Welshpool, Powys
There isn’t a set date for when these hubs are expected to open but it’s expected that they’ll be up and running within the next 12 months.
Here is a full list of the 53 bank branches closing this month.
Halifax closures
- Bletchley – May 18
- Chingford – May 15
- Redruth – May 16
- Sheerness – May 18
- Surbiton – May 10
HSBC closures
- Arnold – May 9
- Brecon – May 9
- Bridport – May 23
- Brighouse – May 16
- Didcot – May 9
- Dover – May 9
- Dundee – May 30
- Fakenham – May 23
- Filton – May 30
- Halesowen – May 16
- Hove – May 23
- Leicester – May 30
- Liskeard – May 23
- Market Harborough – May 30
- Minehead – May 9
- Stamford – May 16
- Stourport-On-Severn – May 30
- Stroud – May 16
- Sudbury – May 23
- Waltham Cross – May 30
- Whitby – May 16
Lloyds Bank closures
- Beeston – May 11
- Borehamwood – May 22
- Lampeter – May 15
- Littlehampton – May 23
- Twickenham – May 11
- Weybridge – May 10
- Whitstable – May 11
- Wickersley – May 15
NatWest closures
- Bootle – May 10
- Broadwater – May 16
- Colwyn Bay – May 17
- Cranbrook – May 30
- Crawley – May 11
- Exeter – May 9
- Frome – May 11
- Ilminster – May 18
- Llansamlet – May 25
- London – May 23
- Sheerness – May 24
- Torquay – May 31